You'll See
by becka
Summary: Ranma is mysteriously cursed. It's a race against time, and even as the rest of the gang fights to bring him back to the real world, he struggles to maintain his perilously thin grip on sanity.
1. Prologue

Title: You'll See

Author: Becka  
Pairing: Various.

Warnings: Abuse. Angst. AU. Blood. Dark. Deathfic. Torture. Violence.

Disclaimer: Ranma ½ does not belong to Becka; characters are used without permission for a non-profit purpose. No infringement is intended.

Note: This isn't a particularly happy story. In fact, my original point in writing this all those years ago was to see just how many ways I could kill Ranma. Looking it over now, it's not particularly well written, but who knows? I may one day attempt a re-write because of all the characters I love to kill, Ranma steadfastly remains my favorite.

o

_You think that I can never laugh again. You'll see._

_You think that you've destroyed my faith in love,_

_You think after all you've done, I'll never find my way back home,_

_somehow, someway._

_You think that you are strong, but you are weak. You'll see._

_It takes more strength to cry, admit defeat._

_I have truth on my side; you only have deceit,_

_You'll see, somehow, some day. _

_All by myself, I don't need anyone at all,_

_I know I'll survive, I know I'll stay alive._

_I'll stand on my own; I won't need anyone this time._

_It will be mine; no one can take it from me._

_You'll see._

-Madona

o

"Ranma no baka!"

Akane, garbed in her pretty yellow jumper, produced her mallet out of hammer-space and swung it hard, landing a heavy blow across Ranma's face. The two had been arguing a few moments earlier, and arguments only ended in one way.

Wham!

Ranma spun around, landing on the ground with a thump, a telltale mark appearing across his face. He looked up, eyes full of hurt, and yelled, "Akane! What'cha do that for?"

Akane didn't see the hurt; she only saw Ranma denying something she knew he did. He HAD to have done it. It was his fault. It was always his fault. Akane glared at him, bringing her mallet around in another full swing. "You were in my room again, weren't you! Weren't you?"

Ranma never got a chance to answer as yet another of the many blows he should have blocked struck him full in his face. Trying to impede the blows with one arms, he pushed himself off the ground. "No! I wasn't in your room, Akane! Why won't you believe me?"

"Hah! Like I should! Pervert!"

Whack.

"Akane, what are you so angry about?"

Whack.

"You were in my room! You were in my underwear drawer, sicko."

Whack.

"Why would I be interested in the panties of an un-cute tomboy like you?"

Whack. Whack.

Akane stood over him, her eyes ablaze. "What did you call me?"

Ranma glared up at her. One of his eyes was slightly swollen shut and his pigtail stuck out at an odd angle. It made him look pathetic, like someone who deserved a little sympathy, but Akane didn't care. He made her so mad; she just wanted to pay him back for what he did to her.

"I called you an un-cute tomboy! You are! Un-cute, un-sexy, and flatter than a wall. And at least the wall can cook better!" Ranma didn't even have time to raise his hands as she lit into him.

_Whack! Wham! Thump! Thud! Whack!_

Like a minion from hell, she stood over him, anger written in every line of her face and the stiffness of her body. She yelled down at him, "I hate you! I never want to see you again, you disgusting pervert! You're just a sex-changing freak, Ranma! Even if you weren't, you'd just be a guy, and I hate guys!" Akane raised the hammer.

Her cruel words registered briefly in his mind, and he brought his arms up to protect himself.

With every ounce of strength she could muster, Akane swung. Hard. The last thing Ranma saw before he was knocked out was the blur of a yellow mallet, but even that couldn't block his view of Akane's angry eyes.

o

Some time later, Ranma peeled himself out of the Ranma-shaped dent in the ground, complete with pigtail. He brushed himself off with one hand, the other gently touching the black eye he sported from his most recent encounter with an angry mallet.

Why wouldn't she listen to him? He never did the things she accused him off, but that didn't seem to matter. All she wanted to do was hit him. Sighing, he mumbled a soft curse and headed to the safest recluse he knew of: the roof.

Looking up at the clouds, Ranma allowed his thoughts to drift back to Akane's harsh words. She hated him; she never wanted to see him again; she considered him a freak. Yeah, those were really the words he wanted to hear from the girl he was supposed to marry. He contemplated a cloud thoughtfully. "You know," he said to one of the cotton-like balls that vaguely resembled a mallet, "I never could figure her out. She says she hates me... so why do I still save her when she needs me?" He halted, his eyes widening slightly. "Maybe... maybe I kinda' do like her. And the only time she's nice to me is when I take a beating for her. She smiles and calls me an idiot. She's so pretty when she smiles..." He shook his head, breaking out of his dreamy stupor. "Baka! You really are an idiot if that's the only reason you rescue her... to see her smile."

Any further contemplation would need to be saved for later because Ranma was suddenly crushed under a weighty bicycle. Perched atop that bicycle was an even weightier, in attitude at least, Chinese girl. "Ayia! Shampoo no see you there, Ranma! Let her make it up to you with gift of ramen, is okay?" She pulled a bowl of ramen out of her delivery box.

Slithering from beneath the bicycle, Ranma nodded, never one to pass up "free-eats." With one slurp, the contents of the bowl Shampoo had presented to him were gone. He smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Shampoo. I was kinda' hungry..."

The dainty girl clapped her hands together, delighted. "Oh! Shampoo so happy! Ranma, go on date with Shampoo, and day no get any better!" Saying so, she wrapped her arms around the neck of her (alleged) future husband, holding him in a glomp so powerful that there was only one thing that could break it.

Whack!

"And just __what__ do you two think you're doing?"

Ranma was sent into orbit for the second time that day, leaving the two girls with one another. Shampoo glared at her greatest rival. "Stupid girl! Why you always hurt Ranma? You think he like being hit?"

Akane Tendo blinked, seeing a tiny glimmer of logic in the Amazon's words. Without another word, she turned on her heel and stalked away, her words drifting back to Shampoo. "The baka deserves it."

Sighing, Shampoo hopped back onto her bicycle to finish the rest of her deliveries. She eyed the direction Ranma disappeared in and muttered softly, "Why Akane always hit Ranma... and why Ranma never stop her?"

o

With a groan, Ranma settled down onto his bed. It was still the same day and the swelling from the black eye Akane gave him had gone down nicely. It wasn't very late, and normally he wouldn't have retired until nightfall, but for some reason he was really tired today. Ever since Akane had whacked him that second time, he couldn't seem to get his mind off sleeping and the oh-so-tempting bed roll on the floor.

Settling down, he curled into a ball, his soft voice murmuring fitful words as he drifted off into sleep. "Stupid Akane... I'm not a freak... I'll prove myself to you... you'll see..."

Perhaps if he had known the consequences of his actions, Ranma might have been able to fight off sleep a little longer. As it was, the moment his eyes drifted shut and his consciousness wandered to the far recesses of his mind, Ranma didn't have a chance to fight off the rare and powerful drug that would change his life forever.

o

The next morning, Genma Saotome arose from his bed on the floor. He was surprised; Ranma was usually up and about far earlier than he. He shrugged and grinned to himself; let this be a lesson to the boy, then. If he wasn't able to control his biological clock as a true martial artist should, he didn't deserve to be woken for the delicious breakfast Kasumi had prepared. Sniggering happily, Genma tiptoed out of the room, heading for the dinning hall.

Soun and his three girls looked up from their meal as Mr. Saotome entered the room. He spoke hesitantly. "Say, Saotome, shouldn't Ranma be up by now?"

Shrugging, Genma responded, his forceful voice filling the small room easily, "My boy's still sleeping, Tendo. I think it's time for another training mission if he's getting so lax. I'll tell him when he wakes up, but first, let's eat!"

Soun, seeing no reason to argue against a third helping, let the matter slide until after breakfast. Ranma still hadn't woken up, and so he sent Kasumi to check on his future son. Secretly he hoped that Ranma wouldn't be too mad at missing a meal, and he figured that Kasumi would be the last person he would attack upon finding they had neglected waking him for breakfast.

Kasumi rushed back into the room, her eyes worried. "Father, Ranma won't wake up!"

That caught everyone's attention and the group made its way into the room the Saotomes called their own. Ranma was still lying on his bed, not so much as twitching a muscle, eyes peacefully closed in sleep. Genma stalked over and hauled Ranma's limp body to its feet, giving his son a shake for good measure. "Come on, boy! You already missed breakfast and at this rate, you'll miss lunch as well."

There was no response.

Genma blinked in surprise, having figured that the mention of missing a meal would have brought his son straight to his feet. He released Ranma's body, stunned as it slumped to the ground without the slightest sign of resistance.

Akane's eyes widened as she knelt by his side, her hands on his shoulders as she shook him frantically, "Ranma! Oh, come on. Ranma, this isn't funny! Wake up!" Akane's voice managed to bring Ranma around a little; his voice barely audible and slightly slurred, almost as though his body was reacting but his mind wasn't there.

"... you'll see... stupid Akane... I'm not a freak..."

Akane blinked, releasing him abruptly. "What did you say? Ranma, you're such a jerk!" She whipped out a mallet and was about to whack Ranma when she remembered the events of the previous day. She'd said some pretty cruel things, even though she knew how sensitive Ranma was about his curse. Akane dropped the mallet, having called it up only out of reflex, and shook Ranma again, unable to bring herself to apologize. "Come on, Ranma. Wake up!"

He didn't stir.

Akane looked up to Nabiki, her voice full of concern. "Get Dr. Tofu, and hurry."

o

Dr. Tofu finished his examination, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Akane. I don't know what's wrong with him. His body is as healthy as ever, but his mind is simply not there. Did anything happen yesterday?"

Akane looked at the man she loved, even if she hadn't fully accepted that fact yet. Her face, normally energetic and excited, was tight with worry. As she spoke, the fear was evident in her voice. "I... it was just a normal day. Is he going to be all right, Dr. Tofu? He's going to make it, right?"

Sighing, the older man pressed his palm to Ranma's forehead. He simply couldn't sense anything there. He didn't know of anything that could do this to someone as resilient as Ranma... unless...

Tofu's eyes widened in understanding. Grabbing up one of the many medical books from his bag, frantically flipping through the pages, he looked for the obscure passage that had triggered his memory. Akane watched him intently, new hope dawning in her eyes. Tofu stood abruptly, his eyes skimming the text purposefully. Finding the proper page, the doctor looked at Akane with an excited smile. "I __knew__ I'd read something about this kind of case before. It's so old that it hadn't even crossed my mind..."

Akane hopped up, landing lightly. "What is it, doctor? Can you help him?"

Tofu shook his head, handing the book to Akane to examine. "I can't be sure, but I think that Ranma's condition is a result from a very powerful Chinese curse: The Million Little Deaths. The specifics are only known by a select few, specifically the Amazons. To my knowledge, there have been only two other cases like this. Both times, the victim remained in a coma like state."

Akane bit her lip, her fears renewed. "Ranma's going to be in a coma... forever?"

To her relief, the doctor shook his head and said, "No. The passages weren't very specific, but the victims did not remain comatose forever. From what I understand, both simply stopped breathing, perhaps a week after first infected. I'm sorry, Akane. I don't think that Ranma's going to last very long if we aren't able to find help very soon."

He watched as a variety of emotions passed over Akane's face: shock, fear, worry, despair, and finally, determination. She stood abruptly. "Sempai, you'll have to excuse me. You'll look after Ranma for me, won't you?" At his nod, she smiled grimly and pushed her sleeves up past the elbows, her words leaving Tofu speechless for a few moments. "Good. I have a date with a bonbori and I don't want to miss it."

o

Akane stalked over to the Neko Hanten, flinging the door open with one hand. She hefted her giant mallet onto one shoulder easily. Angrily, she called out, "Cologne! Shampoo! You two have some explaining to do!"

After a moment, a wizened old woman hopped out from the back room, using her staff as some sort of demented pogo stick. The young girl with bright purple hair continued to deftly serve ramen, unperturbed, to her costumers who lined up at intervals along the tables. She paid about as much notice to Akane as one pays to a tree in a forest.

Akane shook an angry fist at the old woman. "Did you do it to him? Did you curse him?"

Cologne tilted her head to one side, her expression clearly indicating she believed the girl to be daft. "What are you talking about, child? Did I curse who?"

The youngest Tendo stomped her foot in frustration. "I don't have time for this! Did you curse Ranma with 'The Million Little Deaths' or not? Either way, you're going to help me save him. I don't care if you don't know of any cure; invent one!"

Cologne's brow furrowed slightly, eyes drifting to where Shampoo continued to work, blissfully unaware of this new development. "'The Million Little Deaths' eh? Well, well, what has son-in-law gotten himself into now...?"

Akane snarled, "I don't have time for this!" She threw herself at the older woman, intent on beating the information out of her if necessary. She never reached her goal, though, as the old woman simply raised her gnarled staff to block Akane's assault with ease. She quirked a mild brow in reprieve, "Calm yourself, child. I'll help cure son-in-law... perhaps. Go back to his side. Shampoo and I will be there shortly."

Knowing that she was Cologne's inferior, at least when it came to fighting, Akane backed away, throwing one last glare at the diminutive Amazon. "I don't care what it takes, just cure him." With that, she was gone, leaving only a swinging door in her wake.

The old woman chuckled, turning to her granddaughter, "Come Shampoo. Fetch Mousse and close the restaurant. We have a marriage to arrange."

o

Some time later, the Tendos, Mr. Saotome, and nearly everyone else who'd heard of Ranma's plight and had an interest in his recovery were gathered around Ranma's limp body. Shampoo, Ukyo, and Kodachi gazed down at him, willing him with their eyes to awaken. The fathers, Soun and Genma, also stared at him, their last hope for the two schools. Kasumi attended him, pressing cool compresses to his forehead while Nabiki hung back, watching the proceedings with interest. Ryoga, Mousse, and Kuno also looked at Ranma, their gazes surprisingly free of hostility. In fact, it seemed that for the first time the three of them were coming to grips with the fact that Ranma was a friend who cared for them and whom they cared about. Dr. Tofu watched Cologne warily, guarding over his patient and never letting his mind nor his thoughts stray to Kasumi. Akane sat by Ranma's side, her face slightly drawn. She demanded, "Alright, Cologne. Explain what this 'Little Deaths' thing is."

Never one to waste a dramatic moment, Cologne drew herself up, pausing for emphasis. "'The Million Little Deaths' was a punishment developed for some of the most serious crimes that we Amazons face. It was debated whether any crime was so great that it would warrant such a punishment, and after being tested twice, it was banned from the tribe forever. In essence, a drug is given to the criminal, causing them to go into a deep sleep. Once this happens, nothing can reach them. While asleep, the person's consciousnesstravels to another dimension. They are transported into a body in another dimension, and body belonging to their counterpart. Once there, they are overwhelmed with their counterpart's thoughts, feelings and memories. They are forced to live out their life, and their death. "

Nabiki interrupted, "That doesn't sound so bad. It's certainly not as terrible as you're making it out to be..."

Cologne just gave her a __look__ before continuing, "Once Ranma's counterpart dies, he is forced into another of his bodies, in another dimension, and once again, he must undergo the same torment, never being able to affect what happens to him."

Shampoo blinked, "Ayia! You mean say that Ranma live a thousand times?"

Cologne continued as though she had not heard her granddaughter's words. "There are a few more matters at hand. Ranma will only be transported to bodies with the lowest survival rate; for example, his counterparts who are fighting in wars, engaged in dangerous occupations or hobbies, etc. Essentially he'll die, over and over again, and for a martial artist who is used to being able to protect himself and others, that is a grim fate indeed."

There was a moment of silence as everyone absorbed this information, and the horrified looks that followed were divided between Ranma's body and the old hag who stood near it. Ryoga spoke up, his voice trembling, "You mean to say that he... he'll just die over and over... and it won't ever end?"

Cologne chuckled softly, "Afraid so, sunny boy. That is not the worst of it though."

Akane's heart was suddenly weighed down with dread. Her lower lip trembled and she whispered, "Not the worst...?"

The old woman smiled grimly. "Not by a long shot, child. Have you ever imagined how he might die? He'll drown or suffocate, bleed or burn. There are so many ways that his life could end, and he'll endure them all hundreds of times. What if his counterpart commits suicide? What would it be like for son-in-law to watch as he was forced to take his own life... and to know why he was taking it? What would it be like if you or Shampoo or Ukyo killed him? Do you think his deaths will be instantaneous? It could take days, even weeks for him to die, and he'll be fully conscious through it all."

Her words were once again greeted with silence.

The old woman looked down at Ranma, as did everyone else as he moaned softly, his face twisted in pain. Her voice was soft. "Now do you understand why this punishment is perhaps the greatest of all? Why it was banned? Time passes more quickly for him in the alternate dimensions. He could have died at least 20 times by now."

Genma looked at his son, his eyes wavering. "My God..."

Cologne's mouth twisted in a cruel smile as she stared coldly at Ranma's father. "You're always telling him to take it like a man, Saotome. Do you think he'll be as strong as you want him to be if he survives this hell?"

The older Saotome looked downwards in shame. Cologne nodded once, then pulled out a small vile of green liquid. "Then, let us see if he is still the same man."

Ukyo blinked. "Is that... a cure...?"

Everyone held a collective breath as Cologne nodded, "It is, but once I give this to him, you will relinquish all rights on son-in-law."

Akane had expected as much, and she nodded slowly, surprising those present. "Done." She let out a shaky breath, then added, "Hurry! Cure him before he has... has to die again..."

Nearby in the rafters, an old shriveled man remained hidden from their view. His hiding spot was one of the best that the aging hentai knew, leaving the entire room open to his view. This was especially useful when Ranma happened to be a girl and needed to change. There was one fatal flaw in this alcove though, and that was that he could not clearly hear what was being said. He caught a few words such as, "Ranma," "man," and "cure." His gazed narrowed. They were trying to take away Ran-chan's beautiful, lithe, young body. He could not, no... __would__ not allow such a waste to occur.

Cologne turned, about to administer the foul concoction when, out of nowhere, a small blur flung itself down at her. Happosai snatched the vial from Cologne's hands, his face set in grim determination. "No! I will not allow you to take away my beautiful Ranma! I will not be privy to a plan to deprive the world of her fine, pert breasts!" He smashed the bottle against the floor with a gleeful cry of, "Sweet!"

Spinning to face his audience, he blinked as he was met with total silence. Crickets chirped.

In a flurry of motion, the old pervert found himself bound in black ribbon and pinned to the wall by small spatulas. Above him stood four righteous women, eyes ablaze, each holding their respective weapons threateningly: black roses, a bonbori, spatulas, and a mallet that could probably level the dojo.

The old man stuttered, "Wha... wha'd I do?"

Rage in their eyes, the girls proceeded to beat the Master senseless, the oppressive silence in the dojo punctuated only by his low cries of pain.

"Ayia! Stupid pervert-man condemn Ranma to die! Shampoo no can forgive!"

"You! How dare to hurt Ran-chan like that! I will punish you!"

"You old fool! You will know the wrath of a righteous woman for Ranma-darlings suffering! Ahahahahahahaha!"

Akane drew back her mallet and with a burst of strength that would have made Ranma proud, she pounded the hentai into the ground in a single strike, burying him ear-deep in concrete.

Unnoticed by all, Cologne's hands trembled. Her mouth was dry as she stared stupidly at the remains of the glass bottle. It had taken her years to gather all the necessary ingredients for the Amazon punishment ritual, and even more time to prepare it and one vial of its antidote. She had waited until the perfect time to send Shampoo to Ranma with the poisoned ramen. There was no cure... not anymore. Even with Nabiki's resources, the cure would still take a year to create. A year for them, but tens of thousands of lifetimes and deaths for Ranma. No one, she recalled, had lived past a week, and even if the antidote was given in time, Ranma's mind would probably have all the intelligence of a shrub.

She murmured too softly for anyone to hear, "If son-in-law cannot survive, he does not deserve Shampoo," but the words rang hollow in her ears. Cologne was far too old to lie to herself; not even Ranma could live through this. He would die and it would be her fault. She swallowed painfully, knowing that she would blame herself forever for this fatal error that cost a young man his life.

She turned to all in the room, save Happosai who was now beneath her notice. She said coldly, "There is no other cure."

Akane turned towards the old man, looking down at him with tearful eyes. She hefted her mallet, and those around her backed up as she swung down on the old fool's head. The blur of the mallet was the last thing Happosai saw before he blacked out.

Akane pressed balled hands to her eyes, attempting to stop the flow of tears. She cried, "You stupid hentai! That was the cure! That was the only cure and you broke it! Now... now he won't wake up!"

As she began to sob in earnest, Ryoga laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. She spun and buried her face in his chest, her words incoherent though their meaning was clear. "Ranma... he... he's..."

This seemed to dawn on the other fiancéesas well. Mousse held a trembling Shampoo close; Kodachi leaned against her brother for support, looking pale; and Kasumi attempted to comfort the grief-stricken Ukyo. Soun looked ready to burst into tears while Genma starred blindly down at his only son.

Nabiki stepped forward, mouth set in a grim line. "How long would it take to gather whatever ingredients necessary?"

Cologne pulled out at list from the folds of her robe, perhaps a foot in length, covered in small, neat writing. Nabiki stared at it for a moment, then spoke slowly, "I assume most of the items on there are rare. Perhaps one of a kind?"

The old woman nodded.

Deciding that something needed to be done, and that someone needed to do it, Nabiki took the list, glaring at everyone in the room. "All of you, be quiet. If you want Ranma back, you're going to have to work and work fast. All of you are acting like he's dead. Well, he's __not__! And if any of you were lying there, he'd probably already be off looking for this stuff." She held up the scroll and waved it like some kind of ancient battle flag. "So what are you waiting for? Let's go people. Move it."

This seemed to snap everyone back to normal. They could do this. They had to.

Kuno gently patted his sister on the back, but his focus was on the middle Tendo sister. Calmly, he said, "What do we need to do?"

Nabiki settled herself down, pulling out a pad of paper and a thin pencil. A grim smile of determination crossed her face and she responded, "Find whatever's on this list, bring it back here, make it into the antidote and give it to Ranma." She glanced at Cologne. "What timeframe do we have to work with?"

Tofu jumped in before the old woman could respond and said, "At worst, four or five days. At best... well, Ranma's a strong boy. I'm sure he can survive longer than a week."

Nabiki nodded, then began her rapid fire of questions. "Alright, who here's ever heard of 'Lux Root?"

And so it began.

o

Ranma opened his eyes, or more precisely, Ranma's eyes opened of their own accord.

He lay sprawled on the ground, and something hard, with lots of jagged little points, prodded him painfully in the back. His eyes told him that he was in the middle of the aftermath of a war. His mind supplied the rest of the information: he was sprawled in the middle of the Town Square. The pointed things in his back were bits of glass and rock from the last blast that hit.

_/ What "last blast"? / _

As soon as the thought entered his mind, the answer was there. The last blast from the attack. He'd been walking down the street with his wife when the raiders had hit and hit hard.

_/ Wife? /_

A mental image of a slightly older Akane filled his mind as she smiled warmly at him.

_/ Huh? /_

A thousand memories hit his mind, memories enough to fill a lifetime. His name, the memories said, was Ranma Tendo. He was a forty-five year old accountant who had settled down happily with his childhood friend, Akane Saotome. The two of them had taken over the "Anything Goes School of Mathematics" almost twenty years prior. They lived with their three children, Jon, Jan, and Spot, in the Nerima region of Japan. Ranma Tendo had never once been in a fight, having preferred to study for most of his young life. To Ranma __Saotome's__ amazement, he understood everything that the man in this life had studied. He could parrot, word for word, every book this scholarly-self of his had ever read. He knew math like the he knew his Art, and given any problem with a mathematical solution, he could solve it. It was one of the most stunning rushes of his lifetime. It didn't last.

He was hauled rudely to his feet by a beefy hand. To Ranma's shock, he found himself staring into the face of one Genma Saotome. His father... his old man... but the newer half of Ranma's consciousness told him that this man was not his father. This man was the leader of the Raiders, a rebel group who terrorized the entire continent of Japan.

Genma's breath was foul as he stared curiously into the younger man's face. The blank eyes were open, but he didn't look well at all. In fact, the older man noted with amusement, he looked half dead and would be soon, by the look of the cuts and burns that covered his body. "Well, well," Genma Kuno, leader of the Raiders, drawled out, "Look what I have here boys. Seems like one of these weaklings actually managed to survive the blast..."

Ranma Saotome was about to shove his pop's hands off of him when he realized he couldn't move; he couldn't do anything at all for that matter. That was when he heard it. Another voice inside his head that whimpered, _/ Oh dear Goddess, what is this man? Akane! Oh, oh Goddess please let her be all right. Please let her have escaped... /_

Ranma knew that voice well. It was his own. His mind went over the possibilities quickly: an alternate dimension? Probably. He was locked inside his mind in an alternate dimension, and he couldn't affect anything that was happening. How to change that...? He focused all his concentration, and at last he gained the desired response: his right pinky twitched momentarily. He immediately stopped, because it hurt his mind to do so and besides, something was happening.

Genma looked the man over again, surprised that such an obvious bookworm had survived an atomic blast that had leveled the entire city. Before he had time to think the matter over more, his second in command, his son in fact, called out, "Yo, pops. We got another survivor here."

Genma's brows shot up in surprise. "Two survivors? God, are you sure that thing was the same kind we used to level Crystal City?"

Tatewake Kuno nodded, "Yeah... kind of hard to believe though. This one's a woman!"

Ranma's mental eyes widened in shock. That long black hair, the pretty yellow dress... Oh god, no. Not her... not Akane.

Several men, toughened and hardened soldiers of fortune, walked over to their leader, eyeing the half-conscious woman in speculation.

One spoke up. "Sir, we ain't got another city to nuke for a few hours..."

Twisted smiles crossed the faces of all present. The woman was beautiful, with a pure and innocent child-like quality about her that made their mouths water. Genma dropped the broken man and began to strip down, pulling his shirt off. The rest of the men followed his example and both Ranmas watched in horror as they descended on Akane... their beautiful, perfect, if stubborn, Akane. Ranma Tendo was mad with pain but he still hauled himself slowly to his feet. His voice was a hoarse whisper, but they heard it.

The Raiders turned to find a dead man on his feet, stumbling towards them with hell in his eyes. His voice was scratchy and hoarse. "She's... mine... don't any of you bastards touch her..."

Genma was impressed, thinking that this man had to love the woman very much if he could stand in spite of all his pain. A cruel and feral grin crossed his mouth. "Hey boys, think we should take care of her little man first? It would only be polite." There were several bawdy remarks and short bark of laughter. Then they converged on a man who had never once had any injury more serious than a paper cut.

Kick, punch, spin kick, slam; Ranma Tendo slumped to the ground, his mind reeling from the glass and the burns and the severe beating he was taking. They hauled him to his feet, dragging him over to watch, repeatedly, exactly what they did to his precious wife. He fought, fought with more strength than he knew he possessed, every time one of Akane's screams reached him, and each time he was beat down by one of the men holding him back. Ranma Saotome watched this in agony, feeling everything his counterpart felt physically, and sharing the pain of seeing Akane and knowing that there was nothing he could do to help her.

Even as her hoarse cries turned to bare whispers, tears trickled down Ranma's face. Then, from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of one of the men holding a knife. The man was watching Akane with interest, his eyes flitting between the weapon and Akane's body. Smiling sinisterly, he advanced on her prone form, kneeling down and thrusting upwards.

Ranma felt something in him snap, and even as his counterpart faded away, he forced the body to stir as he willed it. He could move! A half-mad howl erupted from the back of his throat, so primal that the men holding him stumbled back, shock and fear in their eyes.

Focusing his entire being on the pain, he spun, one leg connecting solidly with Tatewake Kuno's face. There was a snap and the younger Kuno went down. Berserk in his rage, Ranma twisted and turned, delivering blow after blow to each body that got in his way. He lunged for the man who still knelt over Akane's form, slamming a fist into his face. Blood and ooze covered his hands and finally, when no one else challenged him, his rage and hate ebbed to be replaced by anguish, grief, and a despair so powerful that the few raiders who still stood retreated, watching the mad man from a distance.

Controlling his body was becoming easier for him, and even through the pain he forced himself to crawl to his only love's side. Her body was limp and broken, for any kind of humiliation that could be afflicted onto one person had been done unto her. His trembling hands wrapped around her body, pulling her against him as he rocked on his knees, moaning like a wounded animal. Her name issued from his lips as he called to her softly, the tears running down his face, the sobs caught in his throat.

Akane's eyes fluttered open and the expression in them mirrored his own. He held her firmly but gently to his chest. She leaned into him, and in a voice that was hoarse from screaming, she murmured, "R... ranma...?"

He ran his fingers through her hair gently, his own voice small. "I... I'm suh-sorry... Akane... oh god, Akane... I'm so... s-sorry..."

She closed her eyes, her words dying off. "I... lo..."

Ranma bowed his head, knowing the exact moment her heart slowed down and finally stopped and died altogether. The men who had watched this scene with wide eyes felt their own hearts go still as the man who should have died a several times already threw back his head and screamed. A mad howl that resounded and echoed, causing men and women miles away to look up and wonder what sort of beast could produce a sound so tormented and haunted, a sound that no human voice ever should be able to. It was only a single word. A name.

Seeing the two, man and woman, joined together in a single living statue, Genma and his men turned and walked away. Later they would contest that they had a schedule to keep, but deep inside they knew, without a doubt, that the man would have turned to face them with dead eyes, and that he would have welcomed the end they brought. So Ranma stayed there, staring down at the body of the woman he loved as he slowly bled to death on the empty cement walkway.

o


	2. Life's a Bitch and Then

Title: You'll See

Author: Becka

Chapter 01: Life's a Bitch and Then...

o

There was a rush, a tingling sensation that swept throughout his entire body. Suddenly, without warning, Ranma's eyes opened. More specifically, Ranma opened his eyes. He looked around for a moment, confused and disoriented.

He was standing in the middle of a crowded walkway. People, young and old, bustled around him. Ranma noticed something else as well; he could move.

He did so, wandering aimlessly rather than holding up the gestating mass of people who surrounded him on all sides. _/ Huh, /_ he thought, _/ I can move... last time, I wasn't able to at first... last time... /_ He shuddered, clenching his eyes shut. _/ Oh God, Akane... /_

It all came back to him; the feeling of helplessness when he discovered he couldn't move, the pain from taking repeated beatings from his... from Genma, the fleeting elation when she'd confessed the three words he'd longed to hear, the anguish when he held a dying Akane in his arms.

People around him saw him stop for the second time, and a few of them even went so far as to look into his face. They saw pain and anguish and regret, but most noticeably, they saw sorrow in a depth that none of them had ever encountered. It was painful for __them__ to look at him, but no one stopped to see if they could help him. They just kept on moving, his horror-struck face burned into their mind's eye. Most were relieved when he started walking again, until they saw where he was walking. Then they just stopped themselves and stared.

Ranma was so distracted by the pain his thoughts brought him that he didn't notice the shouts of warning from several people who bordered the sidewalks. Blinking away tears, he looked up into two bright and shining lights, murmuring softly, "I'm sorry Akane... next time, I'll protect you. Next time..."

There was a sickening screech of rubber against flesh as the large moving truck lit into Ranma's body; he was crushed beneath the tires. The cars on the road sped along as though nothing had happened. If he wasn't dead when the first car hit him, the second or third finished him off. He would probably remember it later, having been his first experience of being run over by a truck.

Most looked down at the remains of his body with shock, but one dark-haired little boy tugged on his mother's sleeve, pointing at the body frantically, "Mama! Mama! Look at the funny man, mama! He's all red inside! Why is he all red inside, mama? Why is there red everywhere? Am I red inside mama? Who is he, mama, and why is he red?"

Akane Hibiki looked fondly down at her son, gently explaining, "That man is dead, honey. He was careless and he paid the price. As for who he is..." She looked up curiously, "He's just a dead man, Ranma. No one important."

o

Ranma groaned, sitting up and tossing the covers off his body. It was a nightmare. He'd just died, again. He had the memories of the man who he died as, again. And once again, he was in another body with an entirely new set of memories.

Experimentally, he lifted one arm. It was a slight strain on his mind, but he found he could move with relative ease. Mentally sighing, he carefully checked over to newest edition to his memory, cataloging what he wanted to know.

_/ Name: Ranma Soatome. Occupation: Student of Musabetsu Kakuto Ryuu or "Anything Goes Martial Arts". Location: The Tendo Dojo. Fiancés: Akane Tendo. /_

Shaking his head, he stood and dressed quickly. It seemed like almost everything was the same, but there was a nagging feeling at the back of his mind, telling him that something was most definitely wrong. On impulse, he jumped out the window, landing lightly on the balls of his feet. Moving cautiously, he made his way to the pond whose interior he knew by heart. Leaning forward, he looked over the edge and...

Holy shit! Ranma's eyes widened in horror as he stared at his face, seeing for the first time what he looked like in this universe. His face, gods... he looked like a monster, the sort of person mother's told their children to stay away from. A thick scar striped the side of his face, from his bow, down over one eye, and ending half way down his neck. That scar was the most prominent, but by no means was it the only. All kinds of scars covered his face, thin, thick, small, and large.

Pulling his shirt up over his head, he looked down at himself. If he thought his face was monstrous, then his body was doubly grotesque. Thick, rigid scars stripped his chest, several continuing down under the waistline of his pants. They knotted and clumped together, reminding him of the gnarled roots of a tree. Claw marks, teeth marks, burn marks... they adorned his body, a martial artist's most precious weapon, in scores.

Why did he look like this? What had happened that had caused him to change from an average looking, kind of handsome man, to someone who would be better suited as the brute squad of a particularly mangy mobster.

As always, as soon as the question was asked, his newest memories supplied the answers.

He, Ranma Soatome, had done it to __himself__. He had sacrificed everything for the sake of his Art. If, in his original life, Ranma thought he was good, the Ranma from this universe made him look like about as powerful as poodle.

The Ranma from this universe had started even younger than himself, mastering the Neko-ken at age four. From there, he had gone onto even more deadly attacks and defenses. Memories from this life flashed through his mind...

Age five, walking through a room coated in hornets in an exercise to learn stealth, repeatedly...

Age seven, smeared in fresh blood and tied to the tail of a deep diving shark, his father had told him it would cancel any premature panic, and as an added bonus, he could control his breathing, minimizing oxygen use for hours at a time...

Age eight, a combined attack to raise the Neko-ken to the next level. Wrapped in fish sausage, with fifty cats tied to him, his father had cheerfully tossed him into a pit full of starving dogs, repeatedly...

Age ten, arms and legs tied to wild horses, his father strove to teach him some of the finer points of agility and flexibility...

Age thirteen, his father had collected hundreds of ninja and samurai, telling them that there was a young pigtailed boy who was possessed and the only cure was death...

Age fifteen, his training in the elements began. The booklet his father obtained had very simple and very explicate instructions: Burn by fire to teach the "Blaze of Hell" technique, drown in water to teach "Poseidon's Double-Trident Strike" technique, bury in earth to teach the "Dead-man's Waking" technique, and smother with wind to teach the "Hurricane Blockade" technique. Of course, putting those instructions to use was bit more painful...

Age sixteen, his father's "best" idea yet. This newest attack would enable him to harness the power of electricity and blend it with his chi. Sound technique in theory, though it would probably kill anyone who had no clue what he or she was doing. Of course Genma, his teacher, had no clue what he was doing...

Ranma closed his eyes, realizing how he was probably going to die in this life. There was one small comfort that he could offer this other Ranma Soatome. His suffering and knowledge would not die with him. That much a considerably more humbled Ranma could swear.

Quietly, using one of his many newly acquired "stealth" techniques, Ranma made his way back to his sleeping role, having concluded several things. First, it seemed he was in some kind of punishment loop. He died, then was transported to another body in another universe. Next, he concluded, it would do him no good to avoid the death, because some way or another, he would die. Essentially, he was in the middle of a road; he could step out of the way of an oncoming car only to find he was now in the path of a truck. He decided he could live with dying a thousand deaths, as long as each time he was transported into "Ranma's" body, he could preserve their memory in his own. Last, he was beginning to come to grips with the fact that he loved Akane, and he would never let it end like it had the first time. He would protect her no matter the cost.

After all, death held no fear for him anymore.

Smiling softly, he closed his eyes and slept.

o

The next morning, Ranma woke up, the smile still on his face. He stood slowly, stretching out slightly stiff muscles. If he was going to die soon, he had a lot to take care of in this lifetime. First thing... he stepped out of his room, moving to the unadorned door down the hallway. His light knocking was answered by Nabiki, who blinked owlishly at him. Her features were the same as his Nabiki, but her hair was much longer, falling down past her waist. Her words were tired and a little terse. "Well?"

"May I come in, Nabiki? I have a small favor I'd like to ask you..." he paused, unsure how she would react to this. His voice was quiet as he spoke a word his former pride would have inhibited him from say: "Please."

She examined his face, searching for some sign of mockery, then stepped away from the door, allowing him entry. Plopping down on the bed, she gestured for him to take the chair opposite her. She seemed a little more interested as she spoke again, "You do realize it's five in the morning? What is so important that you'd be willing to ask a favor from __me__?"

Ranma took the offered seat, staring down at his twisted and muscular hands. Subdued, he responded, "I need you to get Life Insurance for me, the largest amount possible. Put it under the Tendo name."

Nabiki blinked, surprised. "Life Insurance?" she questioned. "What brought this on?"

His smile was bitter. "Just call it a hunch. Something's going to happen to me, fairly soon I think. I just want to make sure that your family is... compensated."

Ever practical, she grabbed up a note pad and a pen, furiously writing in concise strokes. She examined him quizzically. "You want it today, I assume? Under the Tendo name? Don't you want your father 'compensated' if, for some reason, something does happen?"

"No."

"No?"

Ranma stood swiftly, heading towards the door. He paused, his voice back to its usual arrogant cockiness. He repeated, "No. It's a word, Nabiki. You should know. It's one of your favorites. I don't want my... father... receiving anything from me if I die." He added softly under his breath, "After all, he's the one who's going to get me killed."

Flashing a bright grin that made him look almost handsome, in spite of the scars, he walked out the door, tossing his words over his shoulder.

"Thanks, Nabiki. Take care of it as soon as you can. Knowing you, I'm sure you'll find a way to charge __them__ interest..."

And for the first time in her adolescent life, Nabiki couldn't think of a thing to say.

o

About an hour or so later, Genma and Ranma began their morning ritual of sparring by the pool. They exchanged violent blows almost too fast for the eye to see. Genma enjoyed this particular spar because his son seemed to have regained the will to win, while Ranma was able to explore a body that was stronger, faster, and more agile than his own original body.

Akane and Nabiki sat at the dining room table, watching their houseguests with interest. Kasumi was in the kitchen preparing breakfast and their mutual father was still asleep. Akane observed Ranma's movements as he skillfully blocked several punches that would have left a lesser man crippled for life.

Nabiki followed her sister's stare, her voice interrupting her sisters wandering mind. "You like him, don't you, sis?"

Akane blinked, startled. She responded quickly, "Huh? Yeah right! Like I could lo... like a scarred, perverted idiot like him..."

The older sister lifted one brow in a mildly reproving look. "You're telling me that you judge him solely on appearance?"

"Well, I... no..." Akane mumbled, looking down at her hands.

Nabiki grinned a little, returning to her question. "Good. So, give me an answer, silly. Do you like him or don't you?"

Akane lifted her head once again, her eyes hungrily seeking out the boy whom she was beginning to fall in love with. A little half-smile crossed her mouth as she spoke, "Yeah... I think I kinda' do..."

Nabiki turned her head towards the window just in time to see the older Saotome slam the younger into the floor. She remembered her earlier conversation. Quickly, she stood and excused herself. "I have a couple calls to make before school. I'll be back soon."

Ignoring Akane's questioning stare, she walked back up to her room, pulling out the business card of a particularly wealthy Life Insurance Company, managed by a man who had a crush on her. She smiled as she picked up the phone. "I knew that little twerp would come in handy..." she muttered as she dialed the number.

o

A delicious breakfast passed by uneventful, and soon Ranma and Akane were on their way to school. Ranma hopped up onto the fence by the river, walking at a comfortable pace as Akane looked up at him.

She stared up at him, unaware that she had stopped walking. The sun which was just beginning to rise, served as a beautiful backdrop of gold and orange, silhouetting his body. From her perspective, his scarred face was shadowed, which accented a distinctively attractive and well-muscled body. He __was__ handsome, really, and she lost herself in the image.

Ranma stopped and looked around after he noticed that Akane wasn't following him. He was surprised to see her staring up at him, examining him as though she was seeing him for the first time. She was so cute when she wore that pensive expression...

Blinking, he shook himself; there was no was he was following that particular line of thought. On impulse, he bent down, offering a hand to her. Puzzled, she accepted, letting out a surprised "Ah!" as he pulled her up on top of the fence. He grinned at her, the jovial expression on his face infuriating, and said, "If you want, I can show you the secret to keeping your balance when you're walking on a fence. We've got some time to kill before school..."

She blinked at him in amazement and wondered what had caused the change in Ranma's attitude towards her. Curiously, she asked, "What brought this on?"

He laughed and shrugged. "I dunno'. I guess I just wanted to share it with you..."

A bright blush infused her cheeks, deepening to crimson as he places his hands lightly around her waist. It was quite a picture they made; he walked backwards, seeming to have no problem balancing, with his hands steadying her as she learned to find her center. Each time she fumbled, he would help her catch her balance as though she weighed no more than a baby. After a few moment of silence, Akane hesitantly spoke up, "Ranma?"

He tilted his head a little, keeping them both moving at the same steady pace. "Hmm?"

She looked down at his hands, then questioned, "I never asked before... but how did it happen? Mr. Soatome said it was a training accident, but he didn't say anything else..."

Seeming unperturbed by her question, he continued walking. His voice was quiet, very much unlike the arrogant, egotistical boy she thought she knew. "The scars, you mean?"

She nodded mutely, embarrassed at asking such a childish and personal question.

His scornful laugh was not directed at her as he replied, "'Training accident,' huh? So that's how the old man explains them..."

She nodded again.

Ranma lowered his eyes to his hands self-consciously. "The scars aren't a result of an accident, Akane. The scars come from the training itself."

Akane stumbled, but Ranma gently steadied her. "What do you mean?" Her voice trembled a little, as though she really didn't want him to answer.

"Ever heard of the Neko-ken?"

She blinked. "The Neko-ken? Cat-fist? Father told me about it once. He said that it's a forbidden attack that was banned because of the way it is supposedly taught. I think he mentioned something about a pit full of starving cats, but... you don't mean to tell me that you..."

"I was trained in the Neko-ken when I was four, Akane."

His eyes were downcast when he said that, and wisely, Akane didn't press the matter. Her mind was reeling. _/ If he was trained in a forbidden attack that young... how good is he really...? /_ Hot on the heels of that thought came another, this one infinitely more disturbing. _/ Oh my goddess, what kind of father could do that to his son...? /_

They continued the rest of the way in silence.

Finally reaching the end of the fence, Ranma hopped down. He caught Akane as she jumped, setting her lightly on the ground. He grinned, "Come on, Akane. We're a little late, so I'll help you out. But don't get any ideas that I like you or nothing..."

He ran off towards the school grounds and set about beating up the usual group who would, "date with her."

Akane blinked, her eyes following his controlled precise movements as he tied up her suitors with a length of rope he'd found on the lawn, immobilizing them without injuring them at all.

She whispered softly, "Ranma..."

o

Akane was in for several surprises that day. As the day passed, Ranma proved himself thoughtful and considerate time and time again. It started with taking care of usual group of daters in the morning, and though she was miffed for a moment, she couldn't stay mad at him for helping her out. Then, of course, Kuno showed up.

The captain of the kendo club had jumped out in front of Ranma, waking his wooden practice blade in the air. Ranma had just sighed, calmly removing the blade from Kuno's hand. Kuno hadn't noticed, and so continued to swing his now empty hand above his head. There had been, needless to say, a perpetual state of sweatdrop among the bystanders who'd stopped to watch the event.

When he finally noticed that he no longer had his bokken, Kuno used the only other weapon he had available to him: his voice.

"Filthy fiend who holds the beautiful Akane Tendo prisoner, release her from thy hideously scared reach, beast, or the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High shall punish you!"

Ranma sighed, "Look, Kuno. Akane's my fiancé. Get that through your head. I ain't holding her hostage with evil sorcery, or whatever you wanna' call it, so you can stop spouting off that punishment crap like you're Sailor Moon. She's __my__ fiancée. Do you understand what that means?"

Kuno blinked, having expected a fist to the face rather then calm reasoning. Suspecting that the question had a trick answer, he inquired cautiously, "What does it mean...?"

Rolling his eyes, Ranma shook his head and sighed, "It means I'm gonna' marry her, lame brain. You can't date a married woman."

By this time, most of the boys who Ranma had previously defeated managed to untangle themselves from the rope, and staggered to their feet, eyes wide. A low murmur rippled through them.

"Hey, he's right!"

"Dating someone who's married is like committing adultery, almost..."

"Yeah! So why do we get the shit beat out of us every morning...?"

"Hey, why do we?"

"Even if we won, we still couldn't date her."

"So whose stupid idea was it anyway?"

The mass of confused boys looked around for a moment. They saw three people at the center of the little drama: Ranma Soatome, Akane Tendo, and Tatewake Kuno.

They looked at each other, then at Kuno, as if seeing him for the first time. Kuno blinked.

Ranma reached out and took a stupefied Akane by the hand, leading her into the school. A few moments later, cries of "How dare you lead us on like that!" and "What are ya' trying to do to us? Getting us to date someone who's practically married!" were heard. The entire school shook with the more frequent loud bangs and yells of "DIE!"

Ranma pulled her into their class just before the bell rung. For the first time in the history of Furinkan High, Akane Tendo was not marked late.

Akane was out of it for most of the class. She was too busy trying to figure out how Ranma had taken care of a problem that had plagued her entire life, and how he had done it in under ten minutes. The real shock was that he had solved it using a __non-violent__ solution. No fighting, no beating, no... no nothing! He'd just reasoned with them as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and they'd understood him!

Once she got over that initial surprise, she also realized how protective Ranma was of her. He'd called her __his__ fiancée; he'd said they were going to marry. Akane was amazed at how warm and fuzzy she felt when he talked about her being his wife.

The day went on. Akane caught Ranma just gazing at her out of the corner of her eyes. There was a loving, slightly sad expression on his face, and she felt her own face grow red in response. That was when she noticed the girls around her giggling and talking to one another.

"He's so CUTE!"

"Even if he isn't gorgeous, he's got this charm around him..."

"I __so__ envy her."

"Did you hear about this morning?"

"Yeah! He said they were engaged!"

"He even called her his wife!"

"Just look at that body! All muscle and power."

"I know. If Akane weren't my friend, I'd go after him in a second."

"Same here."

"But they are a couple."

"I know. He's so cool!"

"He is! Have you seen how he looks at her?"

"That boy is in love."

Akane went even redder. She looked over at Ranma, embarrassed beyond belief at the girls' words. He just smiled at her, then went back to listening to the teacher's lecture.

Still blushing, Akane made an effort to pay more attention to the teacher instead of Ranma.

It didn't work.

Later that day, during lunch, Ranma sat across from her, eating at a normal pace instead of scarfing it like he usually did. He looked up at her periodically, and the two of them talked. There was no yelling or disagreement, only a wonderful conversation that they both enjoyed. Akane asked about his past and his life, and Ranma did the same for her. For the first time, they truly began to understand each other.

After lunch, during their break, they sat outside on the grass, still talking. The student whispered and watched, remarking on what a cute couple they made. While the guys still stared longingly at Akane, and the girls drooled over Ranma, in spite of his scarred appearance, they too began to understand how deep the bond ran between them.

A few of them noticed Akane's hand joined with Ranma's as they smiled at each other, pointing to the clouds in the sky and laughing.

At the end of the school day, Ranma and Akane walked out together. Before they reached the gates, they were stopped by a mummy waving a bokken.

Two eyes blinked at them through strips of white gauze and Kuno's voice was muffled as he lamented, "Ah, sweet sorrow. That the fair Akane should choose the beast over the prince! He who is not even a real man, but a twisted and scarred impersonation of one! Sooth! He was born with a face that makes woman weep and children flee! And a face that reflects his true self! A beast!"

There was silence.

Akane's eyes widened. How could Ranma take that from Kuno? He wouldn't! Never ever! Kuno, because of his stupid crush on her, had just grievously insulted a wonderful, caring boy named Ranma Soatome with no though to the consequences. Everything that had happened today, all the progress made in their relationship, had just been wiped away by an idiot who had no idea what he was doing.

At least, that's what she thought.

Ranma looked at Kuno sadly, his eyes shadowed. "Do you have any idea what you just said?"

The Blue Thunder blinked, a bandage falling to cover his left eye.

"Do you know how I got these scars, Kuno?" the pigtailed boy continued.

The crowd collectively held its breath. They expected Ranma to pound Kuno into a bloody pulp, not to reveal something they all wanted to know. They leaned forward in anticipation.

Kuno blinked again, trying to push the bandage over his eye up with one thickly bandaged hand.

Pulling Kuno forward by the throat, Ranma spoke quietly into the kendo captain's ear. The bandages fell away from the startled boy's face to reveal surprise at being so easily handled. After the first minute of soft words, Kuno looked a little green. After the second minute, he'd paled considerably. By the third, he was nearly white and looking quite seriously ill. When Ranma released him, Kuno stumbled back, falling comically on his rear. He stared up at the pig-tailed boy in horror, mouth opening and closing, though no sound came out.

Ranma took Akane's hand in his own, and led her down the street, leaving the proud Blue Thunder gapping after them like a stranded fish.

o

"Ranma?"

"Yeah, Akane?"

"How did you...? I mean, what did...? Why didn't you hit...? Or...?"

"Akane?"

"Yeah, Ranma?"

"'Cause I didn't have to."

o

Akane settled down against a tree in the forest. The tree was on the outskirts of the clearing where Ranma, Genma, and a several large imposing glass vats of boiling water were located. The vats were hooked to each other, and off to the side was some kind of generator. Mr. Saotome was currently fiddling with the switches.

Ranma had told her that his father was going to give him some special training today, and she'd asked if she could watch. It had confused her, because he didn't really seem like he wanted her along. He'd explained, "It's... it's not that I don't want you around. It's just that the training, it's really dangerous, Akane. I don't want you getting hurt."

She'd just glared at him and told him, quite plainly, that she could take care of herself. Ranma had looked at her and sighed. He'd offered her his hand, and she'd taken it. "Alright," he'd said, "you can come along, 'cause I know you'll probably just follow us anyway, and it's safer for you if I know where ya are."

She'd been surprised, to say the least, and now she sat in the forest, watching Genma prepare the equipment for his son's training.

Genma called out, "Come on, boy! Let's see if this training manual holds the secret to chi-transformation!"

Ranma hoped down from the tree Akane was sitting by. He looked a little hesitant, but resolved. Moving over to where Akane rested, he knelt down beside her and spoke in a low whisper.

"Hey, Akane, I'm gonna' to be going in a minute. Try to stay as far away from whatever happens as possible, alright? If it gets messy, run."

Akane blinked curiously. "Ranma, what are you talking about...?"

The boy shook his head, "Nothing, Akane. Just be careful, okay?" At her nod, he continued. Pulling out a small white envelope with her name written on it , he pressed the paper into the palm of her hand. Then he leaned over to kiss her softly on her cheek. "You'll know when to open it," he murmured. Hoping up, he left a surprised and blushing Akane staring after him.

Genma eyed his son thoughtfully and muttered to himself, "Too bad the manual didn't give better instructions like the Neko-ken guide did. Oh well, what good is a martial artist who can't improvise?"

The same son in question paused a few feet away from his father. "Well, pops, what am I supposed to do?"

Genma indicated the boiling vats next to him proudly, "This is where you begin, boy! With this you will become the only living human to have ever mastered the Electro-ken!"

Ranma eyed his father warily. "Yeah... and this is supposed to happen how?"

The older Soatome leaned forward and smacked Ranma across the back of his head. "Insolent boy! You'll see! Those," he said, pointing to the containers, "hold water boiling at a level that broke the thermometer, and right now, there is almost a thousand watts pumping through the last container."

Ranma blinked, "And what exactly do you want me to do?"

Genma charged his son, grabbing the unsuspecting boy by scruff of his neck and tossing him into one of the vats. The heat from water shocked Ranma momentarily. With a startled noise, he spluttered to the surface. He treaded there for a moment, feet pedaling to keep his head above the surface, before calling out, "All right, pops. What now?"

The older Soatome began to fiddle with the switches again. "Boy, if you haven't figured it out by now, you don't deserve to be called a martial artist. I can change what tank the electricity is pumping through. All you have to do is sense which of those tanks it's safe to be in. Jump from one to the next, boy!"

Slightly confused, Ranma felt a tiny tingling in his body, the first and only warning he would get to move out of that tank and fast. Placing his hand on the rim of the tank, he hurtled over to the adjacent vat, barely avoiding a very painful bolt of electricity that could kill even his monstrous body. Within a split second, that same tingling came to him once more, forcing him to move quickly to the next tank. A few minutes of his jumping successfully from tank to tank passed when his father added a second electrified tank to the first. Not only would he have to continue moving quickly from one vat to the next, but he would also have to make sure that he didn't jump into a container that already had the deadly currents of electricity flowing through it. It took everything he had, but somehow, he still managed to stay alive. His entire focus was on his jump, and he didn't have time for anything else... not even Akane.

Akane watched from the sidelines, her eyes round. No one should have to go through that kind of training. No one should be __able__ to go through that kind of training. By Ranma's expression, he was concentrating hard to stay alive. His worlds floated back to her, _/ If it gets messy, run. /_ The implications of that statement were clear – he might die.

As Ranma jumped to another tank, narrowly avoiding the grim fate of electrocution, Akane conceded that if he were anyone else, he would __already__ be dead.

The thought of Ranma dying made her launch herself towards Genma with every intent of turning off the machine. What she hadn't remembered was that Genma, despite his bulky appearance, was a martial artist too. He sensed her approach with ease, turning just in time to keep her from the controls. One of his meaty hands grabbed both of hers as the other one continued to control the machine. She struggled, crying, "Let me go! What do you think you're doing to him? We have to help him!"

Genma stared at her dumbly. "Help him? Why would you want to do that? He's learning the secrets of the Electro-ken as we speak."

Her eyes were terrified. "He could die!"

The older Soatome shrugged, "Yes, but he won't. I trained him well, and nothing so weak as electricity is going to kill him. Hurt him, maybe, but no pain, no gain, I always say."

"What kind of monster are you? That kind of electricity would kill even you!" She yelled at him, sparing a moment to glance over at Ranma, watching as he vaulted from vat to vat in a way that made it look almost easy.

"Girls know nothing of martial arts. Stay out of this," Genma paused and added, as an afterthought, "and why should you care anyway? His life belongs to the Arts."

Akane shook her head, finally wrenching free of Genma's grip; she reached for the controls again. With a growl, Genma made a second grab at her, and the two of them struggled over the panel. Suddenly, Genma's hand slipped and crashed down onto the controls, causing them to go haywire. A heartbeat later, Ranma began to scream.

The vats and the controls were alive with electricity, tiny shocks of it dancing across them. Bolts ran through the tanks, and in turn, ran through Ranma. The generator burst into flames from the strain, and throughout all of it Ranma's haggard screams could be heard in the background.

It all happened so quickly that neither Akane or Genma had the time to react. The youngest Tendo paled, her body slinking to the ground as Mr. Saotome released her. Neither of them spoke. The screaming stopped. In the unnatural silence, for the first time, it began to dawn on Genma Soatome, that maybe, just maybe, his son wasn't invincible to the training he'd been given his entire life.

Akane knew he was dead. There was no way anything human could have survived that.

Unfortunately for Ranma, she was right.

Numbly, she looked down at the crumpled envelope, picking it up from where she had dropped it earlier. Slowly, almost fearfully, she opened it, extracting a small square of paper, even as the bloated thing which __was__ Ranma floated to the surface of the water, glassy eyes open wide.

As she read it, her throat tightened and salty droplets trickled down her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around herself, sobbing. When the Tendo's found her there later that night, Genma had already fled, and she was asleep.

Nabiki looked at the huddled body of her sister, then at the odd glass vats which looked more like a mid-evil torture device than anything else and the body that floated in one of them. Leaning over, she gently tugged at crumpled piece of paper clutched in Akane's hand.

Akane,

I don't suppose we've really known each other long

enough in this life for me to write this, but I think I

love you. Even if my father's training doesn't kill me,

I want you to know that.

- Ranma Soatome

o


	3. 6 Feet Under Concrete

Title: You'll See

Author: Becka

Chapter 02: 6-feet Under Concrete

o

Meanwhile, back in the Tendo Dojo, the __original__ Tendo Dojo in the __original__ universe, Nabiki was busy sorting through her list.

They'd been at it for about an hour now. Nabiki would call out the name of some obscure ingredient, and Cologne would check her mental inventory of what she had back at the Neko Hanten, sometimes nodding that she had the item, sometimes not. If Cologne __didn't__ have it, she listed off several places it could be found; Nabiki noted these places beside the name on her list. Kasumi had surprised them, producing several of the ingredients from her kitchen, and Dr. Tofu was able to supply a few more. Ryoga, of course, had picked up many oddities in his travels, and even Cologne was taken aback by the hidden wonders that could be found in his massive backpack. Mousse had a few ingredients, weapons made of the obscure metals needed, within the folds of his sleeves, and Kodachi supplied all of the more poisonous substances. Whatever they did not have went onto Nabiki's paper.

Nabiki looked up at those who watched her, then she put down the list. Her mannerisms were completely business-like. "That's it, then. Out of one hundred and sixty ingredients needed, we have about..." she quickly counted, "... one hundred and seventeen. We still need, let's say, forty-three more. Of those, twenty are indigenous to China, fifteen are in Japan, five can probably be found in curiosity shops, two are mythical legends, and the last one requires a demon to be summoned."

Akane looked at her sister, determination written in every line of her body. "We'll get them."

Nabiki smiled briefly. "I don't doubt it. Here's my plan." She pointed to Shampoo and Mousse and said, "You guys go to China. Out of all of us, you know the area best. Plus, you've got friends there who might be able to help."

She turned to the Kuno siblings. "You two search Japan. And Ukyo will go with you." Nabiki winked at the okonomiyaki chef. "Make sure they behave."

"Ryoga just walks," she continued. Staring at the boy's confused face, she explained, "It doesn't matter where you go. The stranger the place you end up in, the more likely you are to find something we need."

Nabiki glanced at the oldest Amazon present. "Cologne, it's the last three items that we're going to need you to get. Dr. Tofu can help you with the demon-summoning."

"I'll look through the curiosity shops..." she concluded. "I could use a good bargain to cheer me up. And Akane..."

The youngest Tendo daughter managed a half-hearted smile. Nabiki said quietly, "Go with Ryoga. Searching with him is the best thing you can do right now. Plus, when you find what we need, you can help him find his way back here."

Akane nodded. "Sure."

Nabiki looked around, then stood abruptly. "All right. Let me make copies of the list. Everyone take one with you..." She looked down at Ranma and said, "We don't have much time. Let's move it, people."

o

Ranma had died.

Again.

This time he drowned. He'd been surfing (yes, he now knew how to surf), when a colossal wave had come out of no where and capsized his board. Normally, he would have been fine, but he was weaker in girl-form. His legs had gotten tangled in a bit of seaweed and the current had pulled him under before he knew what was happening. Actually, it had been an interesting experience for him. When the water filled his lungs, it didn't hurt. In fact, it had tickled as it sloshed around inside his body. What hurt was not being able to breath.

His body went through the familiar tingling sensation, almost as though he'd been splashed with cold water. He suddenly found himself in another body, another time, and another dimension. As soon as he realized he was no longer underwater, the question, _/ Where am I? /_ popped into his mind. The answer followed, of course. He was in his room at the Tek.

_/ The Tek? /_

The Tek was a hideaway for all gang members who belonged to Vengeance. The building itself was in a run down part of Nerima, the Party Town.

_/ Gang? /_

Vengeance was the strongest gang around. There was only had one rival who could offer any competition.

_/ Who's the rival? /_

A group know as Direction , led by Ryoga Hibiki.

Ranma suppressed a snicker.

_/ So, who am I in all this? A member of Vengeance? /_

A member, boss? You're the founder.

After he searched his newest mind more deeply, he had to shake his head. In this lifetime, his mother had single-handedly raised him. One day, the child he had been arrived home to find a man with a gun standing over his mother's broken body, grinning like a psychopath. The man had laughed down at the frightened little child, backhanding him savagely across the mouth, and beating him within an inch of his life. The man left Ranma for dead, but Ranma refused to die there. He swore on his mother's blood, as he'd stubbornly hauled himself to his feet, that he would find her killer, and he would make him suffer.

So he'd called one of his neighbors and told them in his young six-year-old voice that his mother was dead. He'd stayed to see her buried properly. Later that night, he snuck out of his bedroom window with only a little bit of money and the clothes on his back.

Imagine the surprise of the big, bad, street toughs when a little boy, no more than six or seven, came to them and told them he wanted to learn how to fight. One of the crueler boys, a seventeen year old who had killed and fucked his first the same night, sneered down at the child. "You want to learn to fight, huh? Lesson one, kid – fighting __hurts__."

He'd hit Ranma hard, sending him sprawling to the ground, and all of the boys had laughed. Then one of them noticed something. The kid was slowly standing up, blood trickling from one corner of his mouth. Ranma had spoken softly. He said, "I know. And so does living."

So they hit him again and again, harder and harder, but Ranma refused to give up. Even when his face was puffy, one eye swollen shut, with blood running from the corners of his mouth and nose, he still stood up and asked again. Finally, the toughs looked at each other, then down to the boy who was barely able to stand upright; willpower was the only thing kept him going.

One of them asked, "Why don't you just give up kid? Go home to your mother."

The little boy smiled, and it was a terrible thing to see on a face as young and innocent as his, because it was a twisted grin, a dead man's grin. It appeared on the faces of men just after they knew they'd lost everything. "Mother?" the kid asked. "How can I go home to mommy? She's too far away for me to reach now."

The toughs looked at each other, and one of them offered, "We'll... we'll take you to her, kid. Where is she?"

Ranma swayed on his feet, dizzy from the beating he'd taken. He pointed to the hilt of the man's gun, just visible inside his coat. He cocked his head to the side and said, "She in there, where it's all bloody and painful."

"Your mother's dead, kid?"

Ranma nodded, his eyes transfixed on the gun. Finally, one of them stepped forward, blocking the boy's view. "All right, kid," he'd said, "I'll teach you how to fight, if you think you can take it."

The little boy looked up, and they all saw that terrible expression in his eyes, the crazy deadly kind. With that kind of look, he didn't need to answer.

Here was the result of that conversation, eleven years later. He'd learned how to fight, and he'd used his knowledge to create a gang dedicated to its namesake. He still hadn't found his mother's murderer, but he was confident he would soon. Ranma closed his eyes, remembering the face of his nightmares. Though his counterpart didn't recognize the man, he did. A word, to softly spoken for any to hear issued from his lips.

"Genma."

o

The next day, Ranma sorted through his rather interesting wardrobe. Curiously, he separated his leather chaps from his torn-up jeans, trying to find something comfortable he could wear. He finally settled on a loose pair of black UFOs that resembled the ones he normally wore. Next, he picked a shirt that he deemed the most "normal" of all of them. It was a tight white tank top, made for a man and most commonly known as a "wife beater."

Ranma had chosen it because it was normal and because he could fight in it. What he didn't know was how it made him look to all single, and not-so-single, females. He started to get an idea when a very buff Kodachi, clad in what appeared to be a leather gymnast outfit complete with knee high boots, flung herself into his arms with her usual cry of "Darling!"

Ranma looked down at the girl who clung to his chest, smiling up at him with wide, beautiful eyes.

_/ Kodachi? /_ He blinked. Twice. _/ Why the hell is Kodachi...? /_

His mind answered him. It seemed that in this life, he only had one fiancée, and he loved her unconditionally. He'd never met Akane or Shampoo, and Ukyo was a member of Direction. And the scary thing about it was that he didn't care. He was perfectly content to love Kodachi in this life. In fact, in this life, she was __normal__. Her father had died when she was young, and she and her brother had lived on the streets. Ranma and Tatewake had met up, becoming best friend, and when the older Kuno had introduced his breathtaking sister, Ranma had fallen for her and fallen hard. When he'd found that the attraction was mutual... well, he and Kodachi wasted __no__ time.

Ranma closed his eyes. Akane wasn't here, but his self in this life loved Kodachi. The least he could do was to keep her happy before he died. He held his breath, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to her cheek. She smiled lovingly up at him, wrapping one wiry arm around his waist as they walked. It was amazing, the differences between his Kodachi and this one. And though he loved Akane completely, he found himself wondering what it would have been like if Kodachi had been a little less crazy in his reality.

She beamed up at him. "Are you ready, darling?"

"Fer what?" He blinked, surprised at his tongue twisted his words around into very broken Japanese.

She laughed, resting her head against his chest. "The fight, of course! You'll win, won't you?"

Before he could answer that with an affirmative, Kuno appeared at his side, grinning madly at Ranma. "Today we answer their challenge, Soatome. Think you can beat that sniveling coward, Hibiki?"

Ranma grinned back, rather excited at the chance to use some of the attacks he'd learned in his past life. Though he was a little bit put off by Kodachi's sweet smile and Kuno's friendly attitude, he still smirked, "Ya might jus' be s'prised, Kuno."

The trio, followed by the other members of Vengeance, made their way to a place directly between the Tek and the Hyat, Direction's hideaway. This place, deemed "Neutral Ground" seemed like the best spot for the fight between the two young leaders.

Searching his memory for the reason __why__ he and Ryoga were supposed to fight, he unexpectedly stumbled upon a memory of a silly challenge, issued only as a joke. He was surprised; despite Kuno and Kodachi's attitudes towards Ryoga, the four of them were really good friends. The only reason the two gangs opposed each other was for challenge and excitement. Ranma and Ryoga had fought in the past, but it was just for fun.

Ryoga was already waiting in the center of the fighting circle, wearing his normal black pants, yellow shirt, and spotted bandana. Ukyo stood at his right hand looking determined, but her eyes softened a little as she saw Ranma.

Each girl in the crowd sighed softly with longing as Ranma stepped into the circle, his visage somber, eyes dark as midnight and heart hard as steel. The two boys eyed each other up and Ranma greeted his friend, "Hey, man. How've ya been doin'?"

Ryoga offered him a not-quite smile. "You know how it is... so, are you ready to fight? Winner takes the title?"

_/ At least for this week. /_

The pig-tailed boy nodded, extending his hands in a simple defense. Everyone moved forward, eagerly lining up along the edge of the circle as it began. Ranma and Ryoga exchanged a few mock blows, testing the other's defense. Ryoga was surprised, wondering how Ranma had improved so greatly. And there was no doubt that he had improved. He ducked and dodged Ryoga's blows with an ease that bellied itself. His speed and grace was flawless, and the fluency with which he moved made Ryoga feel like a boy facing a master, rather than a man.

Other people started to notice that Ranma wasn't really fighting, just skillfully dodging blows that broke the cement at their feet. He did it without blinking. Ryoga stopped; so did Ranma.

"Fight me for real, Ranma. You owe me that much."

The boy in question shrugged, returning to his defensive position. Ryoga punched again, and this time Ranma didn't dodge. He just brought his hand up, catching Ryoga's fist as though the punch was thrown by a baby, rather than a formidable man. Again and again, Ryoga tried to hit him, and again and again, he caught Ryoga's fist. Finally, just when they thought the fight couldn't get any stranger, Ranma changed his tactics yet again. He started to switch from defensive to offensive. Knocking Ryoga off balance with a solid kick or a punch to fast for the eye to see, Ranma proceeded to show them just how good he was.

Suddenly there was a call from the back of the crowd. "Nice moves, kid. Real fancy against a boy... but can you take on a man?"

Ranma didn't slow down, but he did call back, "Depends who's askin', now don't it."

The crowd parted to reveal a fairly tall man whose hair was going white with age. His dark eyes reflected a cruel spirit and his mouth parted in a mocking parody of a smile. Ranma glanced at his second challenger's face and froze. Not realizing the other boy was distracted, Ryoga swung a fantastic punch at Ranma's face, hitting him fully in the jaw. Ranma didn't move; he didn't even blink.

Ryoga staggered back, clutching his hand in pain.

Ranma's fist clenched. His voice was deceptively soft as he turned to face his challenger. "You're going to die."

The man hopped lightly into the circle. His grin was elated. Ranma hit Ryoga hard, once, and the bandana boy flew into back into the crowd.

Genma giggled, a sound that sent chills through the spines of all present/ "Hello, boy. Miss me?"

The older man got a reaction, though it wasn't quite the one he was hoping for. Ranma lit into him, unleashing a furious wave of fists into his father's stomach. "Why'd you do it, you stupid bastard? Why'd you kill her? Why'd you come back? How'd you find me? Answer me, damnit!"

Ranma slammed the man who had killed him too many times to count into the ground, forcing his face to grind against the cement. Genma giggled again, a high pitched and sickening noise. "You remember me, boy? I'm honored! I..."

Ranma shut him up by slamming his head into the cement again. He gritted his teeth. "Talk."

Genma seemed unconcerned for a man who was being forced to eat concrete. "Well, boy. You see, your mother and I had a thing going even though she knew I was..." Genma made a face, his eyes bulging out unnaturally, "PSYCHO!"

The crowd backed up, watching with a kind of horrible fascination at the scene played out before them. Kodachi, Kuno, Ryoga, and Ukyo all stood nearby, having realized who the mad man was. They all knew of Ranma's loss and the reason he'd started Vengeance.

"She didn't care," the older man continued. "She thought she loved me. And then, just when I was growing tired of her, she told me about you. How much fun! So I left her alone for a few years and then I came back to see you, but you weren't home. So I amused myself while I was waiting for you, made your mother scream and beg. Her blood marked the way to a new era, __your__ era. And now, your era is over with. Now I'm going to finish what I started! Isn't it great?"

Ranma had grown considerable paler at what was revealed. Genma had planned it that way actually, and the moment that Ranma's grip loosened, he reached into his coat and pulled out a Colt 45. With a dark smile, the newly discovered father shot him, two bullets hitting him at point-blank range. It all happened so quickly that no one had a chance to react.

There was silence and Ranma slowly looked down. Blood, darker than sin, covered the front of his white shirt, flowering outward. Almost in slow motion, his eyes widened in understanding, and he stepped back. Kodachi let out a scream and the spell, if spell it was, was broken. Ranma toppled backwards, arms outstretched. He landed in Kodachi's arms, and she held him tightly, sobbing his name.

Then the fireworks started. Ryoga, Ukyo, and Kuno each pulled out their own artillery; each member of the gangs owned several. The three of them pulled the triggers, pumping the man who had killed their friend and leader full of cold hard metal.

Genma staggered back, a cold grin frozen on his face.

That laughing face was the last thing Ranma saw before his eyes glazed over and his mind faded to darkness.

o

Ranma blinked, orienting himself as he invaded another body. His mind was a little bit muzzled, but that always happened when he died. Especially as he remembered __how__ he'd died. His father had killed him again, and he'd laughed about it, just like he'd laughed about his mother's death. Then Ranma looked up.

He was relaxing near the pond, and Akane and Ryoga stood in front of him, looking stern and austere. He blinked again, trying to absorb several facts. The first and most prominent was that Ryoga and Akane held hands and were pressed close to one another in what appeared to be a loving embrace.

"Ranma, I have something to tell you."

Ranma looked at Akane, deciding that this was not a good way to start out his life. She continued, "I... I really didn't want to talk to you like this, but we both think it's best for you to find out sooner than later."

The pigtailed boy started to get a sinking feeling in his stomach, one that had nothing to do with his recent body jump.

"We, that is, Ryoga and I... well, we love each other. We're going to get married."

That sinking feeling slammed down hard in the pit of his stomach. This couldn't happen. His only reason for living couldn't be in love with... he swallowed hard. This wasn't his reality. This wasn't real. But gods, it __hurt__. Unable to stand the pitying look Akane was giving him, Ranma spun. He jumped over the wall to the Tendo Dojo and speed off down the street.

Akane blinked, looking after him. A little noise caught in the back of her throat. The noise tickled its way along her throat, and finally it exploded from her mouth. She doubled over, laughing. "Oh my goddess, that was a performance. I can't believe that dolt actually thought we were serious! You'd think he'd remember April Fool's Day..."

Ryoga laughed too, but his eyes drifted to the fence Ranma had disappeared over. Akane hadn't really been paying much attention to anything else other than the little prank the two of them had agreed to play on Ranma. This was not the case with himself. He'd seen his friend's face pale, and he'd seen the undisguised pain that had haunted Ranma's eyes in the moment before he'd turned and fled.

For the first time, Ryoga wondered if this little joke might not have been such a good idea.

o

Ranma stood on top of one of the many tall buildings in Nerima. It was midday, perhaps a half an hour or so after Akane had professed her undying love for Ryoga. Not that long at all really, since he'd been transported into this body, but enough time for his heart to be broken.

_/ Why now? /_ his mind cried out. Why now? Why here? It hurt that she loved Ryoga. It hurt a lot. So, how to wake up out of this horrible reality? Hah! That was the easy part.

He stood on the roof of an executive building, strands of his hair drifting in the breeze as he stared morosely out over his "home." A few people were beneath him, having finally noticed the pigtailed boy. More and more people gathered in the crowd as they stared up at him and waited for the show to start.

"Hey, kid..."

Ranma glanced over to the emergency staircase where a middle-aged police officer had appeared. He shook his head ruefully; this man had probably been called by one of the spectators. The man would give the old routine of trying to get heart-broken boy away from the ledge and into a psychiatric ward where he could be studied at leisure.

The man, for his part, was not particularly worried. He was an old hand at sweet-talking jumpers away from the ledge. He'd been doing it for years, so he knew every trick in the book. Hell, he'd even written a few new ones. In his honest opinion, jumpers didn't really want to die. Deep down, they knew that this was the only life they were going to get, and they wanted to keep it.

However, this pigtailed boy seemed to be made up of entirely different subject matter. He was not worried, nor did he look unstable. Quite the contrary, he wore a calm, pensive expression on his face as he stared out over the vast city.

"Yeah?" Ranma answered, his eyes still thoughtfully contemplating the sky.

The officer, Hatsuru Sensuko, inwardly blinked. The young boy's voice had not shown any concern for where he was or what he was doing. Oh well, Hatsura sighed, apparently he was going to have his work cut out for him tonight. Might be interesting, though; he hadn't had any challenges like this one for a while.

Hatsuru walked over to the ledge slowly, pulling out a pack of cigarettes, and offered one to the kid. "You smoke?"

Ranma turned from the skyline to face the officer, his eyes tired and sad. And for a moment, looking into the boy's eyes, Hatsuru felt as though he were standing beside a man who'd seen a thousand lifetimes rather than some uppity stripling who thought he had a death wish. "Nah," the kid answered, "At least... not in this life."

The cop shrugged, pulling out a cigarette for himself. He put them away, and patted his pockets as he searched for his matches. He found the box and pulled it out, but after opening, he saw there were none left. He snorted, "Eh, it figures... don't suppose you got a light, kid?"

The boy yawned once, extending his hand forward in front of him. His eyes focused on his palm as he gathered a little bit of fiery chi into his hand.

Hatsuru's eyes widened, and he tried to back up a pace, but he found that his legs were frozen in place. What __was__ this boy? He wished he'd called for backup; he simply wasn't prepared to deal with someone who could make fireballs in his hands. The boy was like a character from one of action cartoons his kids were so fond of.

Ramna leaned over, removing the cigarette from the other man's nerveless fingers. Lazily, he used the chi he had summoned to light it before dispersing the power he had called. After taking a slow and practiced drag on small smoking white role, he handed it back to Hatsuru. He looked out at the sky again, then said, "My name's Soatome. Ranma Soatome. Not 'kid.'"

Hatsuru stared at the... at Ranma. His voice sounded and octave too high, even to his own ears. "What... what __are__ you?"

Ranma laughed softly, but the noise held no mirth. "Me? I'm just your standard issue jumper. That's why you're up here, isn't it?"

The officer's jaw dropped as he tried to form some kind of coherent noise. "I mea.. how did you... what did you...?"

"Oh, you mean this?" Ranma extended his hand again, summoning his chi. Wide-eyed, the man nodded. Ranma snorted, "I'm a martial artist. It's not that hard to do really once you learn how. Shit, I've had a couple lifetimes to learn..."

Ranma regarded the astounded man, reaching one hand out to carefully close his jaw. "You probably don't believe me, right? You just think I'm crazy."

Hatsuru mutely shook his head, his voice distant. "No... no, I believe you..."

And after what he'd just seen, Hatsuru honestly meant that.

The boy thoughtfully tilted his head to one side and murmured, "Do you know what it's like to die?" He continued, leaning forward a little more to stare at the crowd below, "It's pretty strange the first time it happens. Did you know that death isn't always painful?"

The older man blinked. Ranma continued to talk in a bland, informative voice, as though this were a typical conversation about the weather that they were discussing over a cup of tea, rather than on the ledge of a building. "Nope," he said, "death ain't always painful at all. It's sometimes kinda' nice... like when you drown but you're not panicking. It's tickles from the inside as your lungs fill up. And if you get shot right here," he indicated the center of his forehead, "the pain only lasts for a second, and then it's over."

Ranma yawned, one hand toying with his pig-tail, "Actually, death seems pretty good when you think about the alternative of living. What is there really to live for? Love?"

He snorted, answering his own question. "Yeah, right. __Love__. You meet her, and __you__ tell me that she loves me when she rips my heart out of my chest..."

Hatsuru cleared his throat, as though he were going to say something, but Ranma held up a hand. In a quiet voice, he said, "Could you to do me a favor? Find Akane Tendo and Ryoga Hibiki, and tell 'em... tell 'em it's better this way. Ain't no one who's gonna' miss me in this life, and I'd just be in their way. Tell 'em..." Ranma smiled softly, "Tell 'em I'm sorry I'm such as jerk, would ya'?"

The officer who thought he'd seen it all, until now, nodded mutely. Ranma turned around, his back facing the open air. He gave a genuine smile to Hatsuru. "Hey, it's been nice talkin' to you, but I got an appointment with destiny, and she doesn't wait around for anybody. Look me up if you're in the cemetery sometime."

Hatsuru stepped forward, "Wait!"

He shook his head, "Sorry, but no can do. All those people down there are waiting to see me jump, soar, and splat. Hell, I never could disappoint a crowd. Later."

Ranma winked once at Hatsuru, then extended his arms, and jumped away from the edge. He soared away from the edge, oblivious to the shouts of encouragement and fear. A small smile crossed his lips, and his last thought in this lifetime was, _/ I've never jumped off a building before. This is probably going to hurt like a bi- /_

__Splat_._

o

Akane, Ryoga, and the rest of the Tendo family, along with Genma Soatome, sat at the supper table, laughing about the joke.

Ryoga laughed along with them, but his thoughts strayed towards the expression he'd seen on Ranma's face, and he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was wrong. Still, he'd laughed.

They all laughed.

There was a knock on the door and Kasumi stood, walking out of the room to answer it. She left the mirth filled table with a grin on her face and opened the door. But when she walked back into the room, followed by a middle-aged police officer, she wasn't smiling.

The officer entered the room slowly, his hat tucked politely beneath his arm. He was pale, and when he spoke, his voice sounded shaken. "Are Akane Tendo and Ryoga Hibiki here?"

Akane and Ryoga stood, smiling curiously at the man. Akane answered him, "Yes, that's us. Is something wrong, officer?"

The man looked down at his hands and swallowed. "My name is Hatsuru Sensuko. I work for the Police Department. Earlier on this morning, I was called to talk a young jumper down from the ledge of an executive building."

His words were met with silence, and Ryoga stared incredulously at the man. "Who?" he asked.

Hatsuru answered, "Ranma Saotome. I was unable to convince him to step down, though before he jumped, he asked me to relay a message to Akane Tendo and Ryoga Hibiki. 'Tell them,' he said, 'that it's better this way. And tell them I'm sorry I'm such a jerk.'"

Akane slumped to the ground in utter shock, and Ryoga closed his eyes. Everyone was staring at Hatsuru, and Soun spoke up hesitantly, "Did he... say anything else...?"

The officer nodded, "He did. He talked a little bit about death with me, and he seemed like he was... special, you know? He seemed... noble. It was an odd feeling to get about someone while they're standing at the edge of a building ready to jump, but that's the best way I can describe it. He seemed like he was someone who could have anything he wanted... so, do any of you have an idea why he jumped?"

No one spoke. Hatsuru looked around at them, "I'm sorry, but I'm trying to find out why a young man with so much would give it all up. Surely you must have some idea?"

Ryoga's voice was a hoarse shadow of its former self as he whispered, "April... Fools..."

o


	4. I Scream, You Sream

Title: You'll See

Author: Becka

Chapter 03: I Scream, You Scream!

o

Ranma opened his eyes slowly. He realized two things.

First, he couldn't move. And second... his arms were strapped to his bed.

His mind, in response to his obvious puzzlement, supplied him with a reason. He was in a mental institution. This didn't really come as too much of a surprise; his father had trained him in the Neko-ken at an early age and in this life, and he was driven quite insane because of it. What __did__ shock him was the other occupants in the room. His friends, Akane, Nabiki, Kasumi, Ukyo, Ryoga, Mousse, Shampoo, Kuno, and Kodachi were all present, strapped to their beds in a similar fashion.

Shampoo smiled weakly when she saw him look around, noting the obviously confused expression on his face. "Ranma have hard session?"

A very pale Ryoga gingerly pushed himself into a sitting position. "Hey man, you look worse than I do..." He laughed feebly, as though he had made a joke.

Ranma blinked. "Umm... why are we here?"

Ukyo and Kasumi exchanged sad smiles. Ukyo shook her head. "They really did a number on you this time, didn't they, sugar?"

Akane gritted her teeth, struggling against the bonds that held her arms. "Damn it! Let me out of here! These stupid bastards are going to get it when I get loose."

Her outburst was met with loud "shhh!"s, and everyone glanced at the door nervously, their eyes wide with fear.

Nabiki whispered feverishly, "Sis, be quiet! We don't want them to come back!"

Ranma blinked again, then questioned his memory, _/ Who don't they want to come back? /_

The doctors, his mind replied.

_/ Doctors? / _

The bad doctors who run this institution, his mental voice murmured, suddenly very afraid.

_/ Why are the doctors bad? / _

His mind was flooded with images of bright lights and grinning faces. The doctors who ran the institution were sadists who used their teenaged occupants as test subjects for experimental "cures." Electroshock therapy, gases and pills, cruel taunts and sharp needles all hit him in a rush and he was forced to stifle a soft moan.

Everyone looked at him, save Akane who was still furiously working at her bonds. Their eyebrows went up and Kasumi questioned softly, "Won't you tell us, Ranma? We know they use you more harshly... perhaps you'd feel better to just tell us what they do to you for once?"

Ranma gritted his teeth as the over flow of images overloaded his braid. Needles, drugs, water-torture... oh, gods how they had fun with water. Suddenly he was in a different room, strapped into a chair, and the doctors gathered around him. They tortured him, and when he begged them to stop, they laughed and mocked him for being "weak" and "female." One of the doctors loved to abuse Ranma's body, in both male and female forms. He...

Ranma's face went white. Shaking free of the memory, he shuddered in disgust. Goddess, why was he here? Why did the doctors treat their patients like lab rats, tormenting and hurting them solely for pleasure?

Looking into the sympathetic and understanding faces of his friends, Ranma realized that they had all undergone the same treatment as him. Perhaps not on the same scale, but most assuredly, they all understood how he felt.

Slowly, he opened his mouth and said, "I... don't remember why we're all here... please, tell me why we're here."

Kuno looked up at the ceiling and quoted bitterly, "Fool, there never was a man so notoriously abused." He met Ranma's eyes and answered, "We are here because we have 'problems' that need to be cured. I, they said, have an overly active imagination. In short, I've lived in a world of fantasy for most of my life."

Kodachi who lay on the bed next to him did not move so much as a muscle as she spoke. "Our mutual father drove me quite insane after out mother's death. 'Psychopathic' they said. Of all of us here, I will never leave this place. They have told my kin that I am 'incurable.'"

The purpled-haired Amazon smiled ruefully. "Shampoo fine, she say. Shampoo put here by Great Grandmother, who tell men that she 'retard' because she no learn speak Japanese well. Great Grandmother no want less than perfect girl, and Shampoo no perfect."

Mousse shook his head. "Shampoo, I..." He bit his lip, looking down. "There I go again. Cologne put me here because she seems to feel I have a very serious case of obsession with Shampoo. A case, the doctors have agreed, so serious, that I have no chance of leaving here... alive."

Ryoga let out a sharp bark of laughter, one that seemed to resonate off the walls. "Where shall I begin, eh, Ranma? The doctors have found a prime specimen in me. They feel I have enough mental illness to cover at least five other men." He counted off, holding up a finger for each condition, "Serious depression, suicidal intentions, loss of direction, disorientation, obsession, homicidal tendencies... they'll never let me go because they can't seem to stop finding things to fix in my head."

Ukyo bit her lip. "Who knows? Maybe we'll get lucky and one of them will set the building on fire by accident." She sighed softly. "They put me in here because they seem to think that there is something in my head that tells me to be a boy. They don't care that I only dress this way because it's comfortable; they just like screwing around with my head too much."

Kasumi stared at the straps that bound her wrists, her voice gentle, as always. "I came here of my own accord. I simply couldn't find the will to live after mother died. I thought they could help me, for my family's sake, but..."

Nabiki closed her eyes, burying her head into her pillow. "It's alright, sis. Of all of us, I hate having you here the most. Anyway, they brought __me__ in because they seem to think that I would do anything for money; I'm considered a danger to those around me."

Akane didn't say anything. She looked infuriated, and she continued to struggle against the metal straps that pinned her arms. Beads of sweat trickled from her furrowed brow and she let out a growl of frustration. Nabiki murmured quietly, "Rage disorder. She can't control her temper, any more than I can control my greed. Combine that with being manic depressive, and you've got Akane."

Kodachi finally moved, turning her face towards him. "And you, Ranma-darling, have never told us why you are here, or why your father put you here. You've never been very open with us, but again, we respect that. If they took me in for therapy half so often as they did you, I would probably go..." she giggled softly, "... insane."

His face ashen, Ranma listened to his friend's calm explanations. His eyes were dark as he spoke. Surprising them, he said, "I'm sorry... I need... to sleep, I think..."

And so he closed his eyes, as did most of the others in the room, and slept. Kuno remained staring at the ceiling and listening to the silence for almost an hour after the rest, but eventually, he too surrendered himself to the darkness that beckoned.

The next morning, four burly men stormed loudly into the room where the young martial artists slept. Nine pairs of eyes watched silently as two flanked either side of Ranma's bed. Two of the men grabbed his arms in a death vice, and though Ranma didn't struggle, they twisted them behind his back to prevent him if he should try. They yanked him from the bed, dragging him roughly across the floor and through the doors.

Remaining calm, Ranma allowed them to take him to a small padded room. One of the brutes opened the door, and dropping the slightly disoriented boy to the ground, they kicked him in. They left him there for a minute, then a bearded doctor, Dr. Wonshinja his mind supplied, entered, flanked by three toughs in white coats. Ranma faced them confidently, his eyes only wavering a little.

Dr. Wonshinja was confused. Only yesterday, this same boy had cowered before him and asked him not to hurt him. Wonshinja had ignored those pleas, of course, but watching a once proud boy grovel before him was an invigorating experience. Now the youth seemed to have regained his confidence tenfold.

Wonshinja forced a smile, indicating that his men should rough Ranma up a little bit before they began. One of them stepped forward, raising a beefy fist. The man slammed his hand down, expecting the pigtailed boy to crumple into a sobbing little heap.

Ranma raised his hand, catching the thug's fist with hardly a gesture. Wonshinja blinked, realizing that the boy's courage was not totally unfounded. He looked down at his notes, wondering what the quickest way to break him would be.

When the doctor looked back at Ranma, he was smiling, a calm, cold, and calculating smile. Dr. Wonshinja turned and murmured something to one of his brutes quietly. The man looked puzzled, but he shrugged and left the room. Wonshinja was quiet, and Ranma patiently waited for some kind of acknowledgment.

And waited.

And waited.

Finally, the doctor turned his attention back to the pig-tailed boy, still smiling. "So... Ranma... you do know why you're in this institution, correct?"

Ranma started to get a sinking feeling in his stomach and he answered, "Yeah."

Wonshinja's smile doubled. "And why is it that's you're here?"

That sinking feeling doubled as well. Ranma replied slowly, "Because I have a fear of..."

There was a soft hiss, and the man who had left returned, carrying a cage with six or seven hissing, scratching, and clawing felines.

The doctor completed Ranma's sentence. "... cats."

As the cage of angry animals was set on the ground, Wonshinja opened it. He and the other men backed away slowly, moving out of the room and closing the door. The last human voice Ranma heard for quite a while belonged to the doctor, and his last words were mocking. "I think I'll just let you an my... pets... get acquainted."

Ranma backed into a corner as the cats padded out of their cage, eyes cruelly and unnaturally focused on his own. That's when Ranma's conscious mind stopped functioning properly, and as his eyes darted to and from each of their furry faces, the cats surged forward, attacking the only source of food they had seen in at least a week.

o

An hour later, one man, looking rather shaken, carried the broken and badly injured boy back to his bed, laying him down gently. The man finally saw the kid as a human being. The man's name was Desenso Shirako, and before today, he'd enjoyed his job. He got to take it easy, was paid well for it, and his only requirement was to follow the doctors orders and generally look imposing. There wasn't any harm in that, was there?

Then he'd seen something, which he soon would discover, that would haunt his darkest nightmares for the rest of his life; the terrified face of a boy who had been forced to face his darkest and most secret fear.

He'd been told to go into a room and retrieve a young boy. He'd done so, not really thinking much of it, that is, until he'd seen the kid.

Blood pooled around the fragile body, trickling from any one of a thousand deep bite marks and angry red scratches that covered him in parallel scores. A few claws of some kind were caught in the kid's skin, having been stuck in so deeply that the animal, if animal it was, had not been able to pull them out. That wasn't what disturbed Desenso the most. What was most frightening was that the boy's eyes, which were wide open. One of them had been gouged from its socket.

The boy was no more than sixteen.

Desenso had a child, a boy, who was sixteen.

After Desenso carefully tucked the pigtailed boy into his bed, painstakingly binding his swollen and bloody wrists to the bed, the large man turned, walked to the head doctor's office, and dropped off his formal resignation.

o

Ranma was torn from the depths of his fitful slumber by a voice calling his name. Sluggishly, he opened his eyes. For some reason, he couldn't see from one of them. Curiously, he tried to reach up to touch his hand to the lid of his eye, but found it bound. Brow furrowing, he looked around and caught sight of himself in a nearby mirror.

He swallowed hard, his hands trembling. He remembered... the cats. And the pain... and the terror... and...

"Ranma."

"Ranma, are you alright?"

"Man, what did they do to you?"

"Ran-chan, are you... can you... oh, please say something..."

"What session doctors give Ranma?"

"Ranma-kun..."

"Saotome-san...?"

"Darling..."

"Ranma...?"

Closing his eye, Ranma swallowed back the tears, and forced himself to sleep. The only place he could escape the voices, he drifted in a world of blackness, haunted by razor-like fangs and slanted golden eyes.

o

Genma Saotome sat beside Ranma's inert body. He'd been there ever since Ranma's friends had left, in search of the ingredients that would awaken his son from whatever hell he was living in. He'd been applying a cool washcloth to his son's forehead for a little over three hours, thinking about the man his son had become, and how he might never get the chance to tell him that.

He looked down as Ranma began to thrash and moan. That was followed by heavily breathing. Then he started to mumble, "Get 'em away from me... get 'em off! They hurt... the cats... someone... please. Help me! Take them away! Take them all away! They want to kill me! I don't want to die! They're going to kill me! I DON'T WANT TO DIE! PLEASE, GOD, TAKE THEM AWAY! PLEASE DON'T HURT ME ANYMORE!"

His words had begun as a murmur. They built up, louder and louder, until his voice was hoarse from screaming, and Genma sat stolidly through it all. When Ranma had finished his ragged and frightened pleas, Genma slowly began to clean his son's face again. He'd gotten about half way done when a scalding drop of salty water splashed against Ranma's skin.

His hands began to tremble slightly as he wiped the tear away. Another took it's place, and another. Genma closed his eyes, willing the tears to stop. Clenching his jaw, he whispered fiercely, "Forgive me. Gods, forgive me for what I've done."

Determined, Genma steadied his hands like a man would do, and continued to swab his son's face with deliberate care.

o

Ranma opened his eye, looking around with a pained expression on his face. The conversation, previously a soft din, stopped. Nine stricken faces stared at him in concern and a little horror. He'd done a lot of thinking and a lot of dreaming the night before. Though he knew he would have nightmares for the rest of his life, there were people here who needed his help here and now. He could let the doctors break him and close his eye, willing himself not to wake up, or he could follow his heart.

Ukyo questioned softly, "Ran-chan?"

Ranma gritted his teeth, wincing as he sat up, "Yeah, Uc-chan?"

The teens exchanged quick glances, having not known what to expect from him when he awoke, but whatever speculations they had formed certainly did not add up to this. Ukyo, having been unanimously elected to speak to him, queried lightly, "Are you... okay?"

The pigtailed boy snorted softly, then punned, "Do I __look__ like I'm 'okay'?"

The former okonomiyaki chef had the decency to wince. "I guess that was a pretty stupid question..."

Ranma shook his head, fighting the urge to mourn the loss of his eye, and spoke up, "No. I'm sorry, Ukyo. I'm not really feeling too great." He paused. "Last night, I had a lot of time to think. We all want out of here, right?"

His statement was met with a few wry smiles and one bitter laugh. Ryoga snorted, "No, man. We want to stay in here because we __like__ the pain."

Ukyo glared at Ryoga, then turned her head to face Ranma. "Yes. Why?"

Propping himself up a little better to address all of them, Ranma continued, "Because... I can't go through that again. I don't care what it takes, but I'm getting out of this place."

They all stopped at that; even Akane ceased her struggling to listen to him. Whatever else the therapy had done to him, it had certainly matured him beyond his years. His voice was filled with some kind of command that none of them had ever heard before, a command that demanded attention and obedience. Strength, nobility, power, they all seemed to resonate from his voice.

Kuno murmured, thoroughly awestruck, "Then tell us, that we might escape this torment."

"I can free myself without a problem. Escaping alone won't be much trouble for me either. I'll go straight to the police and bring them here, because I don't want to escape only to be dragged back again. I'm going to bring this place down using its own system, and once charges are made, no one will __let__ us stay here. All I need you to do is say you don't know where I went or how I escaped."

He added quietly, "No matter what."

A serene aura of calm seemed to surround Ranma as he spoke, and never once did it occur to any of them that he could not do exactly what he proposed.

Kodachi gave him a not-quite smile, "I don't think that'll be a problem. When are you going to do this, may I ask?"

His answer, spoken in deadly, quiet tones, offered both hope and fear to the occupants of the cramped, sanitized room.

"Now."

With that, he yanked up sharply on the metallic straps that bound his hands to the bed. They broke cleanly with a small snapping noise. Ignoring the incredulous stares of Kuno, and Ryoga's fruitless attempts to break his own bonds, Ranma got out of the bed and stepped over next to Ukyo. He pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek. "Thanks for believing in me, Uc-chan. You've been my best friend for as long as I can remember."

To Kodachi, he lightly touched her hand. "I'll get you out. You're a rose, Kodachi. You can't grow in here."

Moving swiftly, though stiffly, he stood beside Shampoo's bed. Placing a delicate kiss on her forehead, he said nothing.

He moved quickly to Akane, pressing a kiss to her forehead, and ignoring the puzzled stare she gave him, he murmured, "Akane..." Rather than speaking with clumsy words, he gave a second kiss, this one to her mouth. Then he backed away, his eye offering silent thanks and good-byes to Mousse, Kuno, Ryoga, Nabiki, and Kasumi.

He walked towards the door, the only indication of his earlier experience a faint limp. He grinned over his shoulder and winked, "See you guys soon."

Then he opened the door and stepped out, leaving behind four blushing females and five confused others.

o

Ranma made a clean break from the institution, not that he'd had any doubts. His problem was that the doctors would come to check on him soon, and he wouldn't be there. They'd doubtlessly torture his friends, but he hoped that maybe he'd be back by then, with help.

He quickly made his way through the streets, moving stealthily through the shadows. A quick glance around once he'd escaped revealed that, in this reality, the institution was right where... Dr. Tofu's Clinic would have been. He'd almost laughed at that, but as bad as Dr. Tofu could be when Kasumi was around, his ministrations where nothing compared to those of the doctors.

_/ First thing, though... /_ He found a clothing store and, regretfully, stole a pair of loose black pants and a blue shirt, as well as some shoes. Wearing them was painful, because he still hadn't fully healed from his... "encounter" with the cats, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. He also made a quick stop to the children's dress-up department, and after a few minutes of fruitless searching, he finally found what he was looking for: a pirate's eye patch.

The Police Department was only a few blocks away in his reality. With any luck, the Department would be in the same area. It was.

Soon, his friends would be free from the institution, and he, most likely, would be dead. Walking calmly to the twin doors and throwing them open, he smiled bitterly.

"A small price to pay."

o

*RING* *RING* *RING*

The chief of Nerima's Elite Police Squad answered the phone. He normally never got calls this late, but an officer of the law was always on duty. He sincerely hoped that he wasn't being called in to talk down some lame-ass jumper simply because no one else could be reached at this hour.

"Moshi moshi. Captain Hatsuru Sensuko of the Nerima District Police speaking. How may I help you?"

"Hello, this is Dr. Wonshinja of the Institutional Ward of Psychiatric Care and Development. We'd like to report that one... no, __two__ of our patients from Ward three have escaped. Both of the patients, Ranma and Ran... Ranko Saotome, are highly skilled martial artists. They are quite insane and a danger to society. It is imperative that these two be brought in by any means possible."

Hatsuru grabbed a pencil and a pad of paper from the disorganized mass of his desk. He barked into the phone, "Description."

On the other end of the phone there was a brief pause as Dr. Wonshinja smiled darkly, then gave the description of his favorite patient in both male and female forms.

o

In the same building, a few rooms away from Hatsuru's office, Ranma left his name with one of the secretaries and took a seat on one of the chairs in the lounge.

o

"Alright, Dr. Wonshinja. I'll get on this case immediately. Thank you for reporting this as promptly as you did. Goodbye."

As he hung up the phone, he noticed a small green blinking light on one corner of his machine, signifying that his secretary was trying to get in touch with him from the front desk. He pressed the appropriate button, then lifted the receiver to his mouth again. "Yes?"

"Mr. Sensuko, there is a young man out here by the name of Ranma Saotome. I've told him that showing up at the Department like this is simply not done, but he's insistent and he says he needs to talk to someone as soon as possible. Do you want me to call security, sir?"

Hatsuru glanced at the name he'd hastily scrawled. "Did you say... 'Ranma Saotome'...?"

"Yes, sir. Do you want me to call security?"

He shook his head in disbelief. "Yes. Call security and have the young man detained. Be sure that all of the men are heavily armed and order them to take extreme caution in apprehending this man."

"Sir, he's just a boy. Are you honestly saying– "

"DO IT!"

There was a pause, then, "Yes, sir."

Strapping his guns around his waist swiftly, like one of the cowboys from an American film he'd seen recently, Hatsuru bolted out the door and down the hall to the lobby.

By the time he got there, six burly men bearing an impressive arsenal of the latest technology had already surrounded the young boy. Hatsuru was shocked at how young the boy appeared, no more than 16 years at the most. He was handsome enough that he was probably very popular with the ladies, though he looked as though he'd gotten into a fight with some kind of animal, if the scratches and bites were any indication. For some reason Hatsuru couldn't fathom, he wore around his head what appeared to be a shinny eye patch.

Hatsuru was worried. This kid didn't appear to be at all concerned for where he was and who was with him. In his past experience, less nervous criminals were all the more dangerous.

o

Ranma was worried. He'd shown up expecting a little doubt and skepticism, but he hadn't thought he'd be immediately surrounded by six gun-totting, trigger-happy officers. He didn't have any doubt he could take them out if necessary, but he didn't think it would really leave a very good impression if he kicked the crap out of the department's brute squad.

He glanced at each of their faces, looking for some remnant of sympathy or understanding, but sadly it was not to be. In return, he received five expressions of total apathy, and one of open hostility.

He was about to say something when another man entered the room, one who appeared to be in his late thirties or early forties. Ranma felt a tugging on the back of his mind, something that told him that this man could be trusted. Hatsuru... that's his name. He... he had tried to help Ranma in another life. Ranma stepped forward, relieved to have found someone who he could talk to. "Hatsuru!"

The other man blinked, visibly taken aback. "You know me, kid?"

Ranma nodded, "Yeah! You..." How to put it_... / You tried to stop me from jumping off a building in another dimension. /_ Somehow he didn't think that'd go over really well. "You... probably don't remember me. You helped me... a while back..."

"Look, kid, I don't know you. What I do know is that a very concerned doctor called me up not five minutes ago and said that you are certifiably insane. You're goin' back, kid."

The "kid" in question felt his hope plummet to somewhere in the vicinity of his toes. "That's what I need to talk to you about..." he looked around at the guards, then continued, "I don't know if you're going to believe me, but those 'doctors' use the kids in ward three for... experiments. You gotta' help us."

One of the other men snorted, "God, you are a nutcase. Those docs are the best around."

Ranma took a step forward. "I'm serious! I..."

That was all it took. The man who'd been giving Ranma hostile glares, Akito Mikage, moved forward, swinging his gun around to hit him across the face with its butt. Ranma, who hadn't been expecting any sort of physical attack, stumbled back, throwing his hands up. "Wait a minute, I didn't..."

Ranma blocked a second blow from the man, tearing the gun from his hands with a precise move, then tossing it to the ground with a snort. "Look, I'm just trying to tell you that the doctors aren't what you think they are."

Hatsuru blinked. The five non-active participants blinked. The final man, Mikage, did not blink. He gritted his teeth in anger and brought a beefy fist to slam into the side of Ranma's head. The pig-tailed boy spun like a top, falling to his knees, mostly in surprise than anything else. Ranma lashed out one foot, knocking Mikago to the ground. He stood, offering the man a cock-sure grin. "That all you got, man?"

_/ Aw, shit. /_ He hadn't meant to say that. It just kinda' slipped out, like when he fought Ryoga or Mousse. Ranma was trying to figure out a way to take that particular remark back when Hatsuru gestured for the rest of the men to help their comrade. They didn't really need much urging.

All five of them raised their guns, and one said, "You're coming in slowly, or you aren't going in alive."

Ranma looked at Hatsuru pleadingly, "Just... just come in with me. See how the doctors treat their patients."

Swallowing the little pride this lifetime had left him, he bowed his head. "Please."

Hatsuru got the distinct impression that this ki... that Ranma wasn't the type of person who said "please" very often. He also knew that he was holding back. He wasn't fighting the men all out. What little he had done was just reflex. He hadn't really appeared to be concentrating very much. That both worried and intrigued him.

Taking advantage of Ranma's bowed head, Mikago grabbed his discarded gun up quickly, bringing it down hard on the back of Ranma's head. Ranma never saw it coming.

Hatsuru looked down at the crumpled body in front of him, then kneeling down beside him, he reached one hand out and flipped out the eye patch up. A very shaken Hatsuru flipped the patch back down and spoke quietly, "Yeah, kid... I'll take a look around your ward."

Turning his head away, he never saw the faint smile that momentarily passed Ranma's mouth.

Then one of the men slammed down on Ranma's head again for good measure. Two sets of hand hoisted him up roughly, and Ranma blacked out and remembered nothing more.

o

When Ranma finally did come around, he found himself in the middle of a room he knew well. The small padded cube was forever burned in his mind, mingled with apprehension, pain, fear, and seven pairs of slanted golden eyes.

There was a slight creak as one of the doors opened, and Dr. Wonshinja stepped in, wearing that same twisted smiled Ranma had come to know and hate. The doctor grinned, "Ranma, you've caused us quite a bit of trouble... you do realize that you need to be punished for what you've done. Well, I'll say no more. After all, it's supposed to be a surprise."

After the doctor left, Ranma was left with a painfully tight feeling in his stomach. He sat down, hoping that Hatsuru would be true to his words.

Suddenly, there was a little snapping noise. Ranma look over to see one of the panels of the wall being removed. He'd known they were going to hurt him no matter what, but he'd decided he wasn't going to give them any satisfaction in doing so.

And just as that thought hit him, he heard the first angry hiss, a hiss that could only be produced by one kind of animal. That's when all his common sense and self control evaporated.

He turned around slowly, his eyes focusing on several pairs of slanting yellow eyes. Ranma took one step back and the cats, livid and hungry, surged forward as one body, attacking the thing they had learned to hate in their time as test subjects: man.

They hissed and clawed and bit, a hundred of them striking at him in the same instant. Ranma jerked backwards, coming out of his daze for a moment. He tried to struggle, but fear held him paralyzed. A hundred starving cats fed on him, their sharp pointy teeth tearing into his skin. For a moment, he lay in total silence. Then a bloodcurdling scream erupted from his mouth, through the walls and the door; it echoed down the hall. In the other wing of the institution, nine teenager looked up, their eyes full of pain and fear for their friend. Never ever had they heard him scream before. Not once had the doctors broken Ranma's control. Until now.

When one cat poked his head into Ranma's mouth and bit his tongue and another gnawed at his lips, Ranma lost his last remnant of sanity.

o

Hatsuru also heard that scream, even though he was two wards away. He thought he recognized the voice but he couldn't be sure. He turned towards the direction that voice was coming from and took off at top speed.

It didn't really matter though. There is only one time when a human voice can produce that kind of sound.

When it's already too late.

o

All inhabitants of ward three, the ward for mentally disturbed children, were placed in straight jackets and led from the institution. Nine of those inhabitants paused, turning back to look at the prison that had been their hell for almost two years.

One of them, a dark haired boy with a bandana tied around his head, murmured quietly, "Stupid bastard. You were supposed to make it out like the rest of us. It shouldn't end this way."

Another patient, this time a purpled haired foreigner who stood close beside a taller man with glasses, spoke gently, "Wo ai ne, Ranma. Shampoo no forget..."

Her companion looked down at her lovingly, but his words were not meant for her. "You were the best of us, Saotome. They never truly broke you."

"Thank you, Ran-chan." The brown haired girl could barely keep the tremble from her voice, and she said no more, for fear that she might break down in front of them all.

Two sisters leaned against each other for comfort, each offering their silent farewells.

A tall man stood stolidly beside his sister, his words spoken in normal, if reverent tones. "The vengeance of heaven is slow but sure, Saotome-san. I pray you understand that." So saying, he placed a gently comforting kiss on the top of his sister's head. "Come," he said, smiling bitterly, "there was a price paid for our freedom. Let us never forget it."

One girl stood apart from the rest, strands of her short dark hair whipping about her face. She was rarely so quiet, but now she looked somberly back at the wards, still hearing Ranma's last scream echoing through her mind, even as it had echoed through the halls. An image remained stuck in her mind, one that came back to haunt her. It was just before Ranma had left, when he looked at them back over his shoulder, with all the nobility and courage of a prince, and winked.

"You knew you weren't coming back... you knew you weren't going to make it out with the rest of us... but you did it anyway. You broke free, and you could have taken off right then, leaving the rest of us without a second thought. But you came back... and you saved us. And I never even got a chance to tell you that I lo...liked you, because I was always to busy screaming or fighting. But you knew, didn't you, Ranma? You knew anyway... and you liked me back."

Maybe it was the trick of the light, but Nabiki thought she saw a sparkling glimmer on her sister's cheek as they all turned and walked away.

o


End file.
